To Turn Back Time
by H.L.Triks
Summary: "He was willing to start a war to fight for them." "He was willing to destroy armies for their safety." "She was willing to take down villages and kingdoms for their sake." There was just them for so long that they forgot there were others also and along the journey to make a change they found something else that was worth laying down their lives for. Love. Family. Friendship.
1. Chapter 1: Whatever It Takes

**Chapter One: Whatever It Takes**

 _Thoughts and emphasized words or phrase_

 _ **Inner**_

Normal

 _Kyuubi_

 ** _Jikan on Sakura's Mind_**

 **The cover of this story is not mine by the way, I'm really really sorry but I have no idea how to ask permission because I rarely use my computer. If you are the owner and you are reading this and you do not want me using the pic, message me okay? I will change it immediately. Can anyone please teach me how these things work? T_T**

 **Disclaimer: Naruto's NOT MINE! HE'S NOT MINE! T_T Must you all make me dwell in it?!**

* * *

It hurts...

That was all she could ever think about but now running seems to only be instinct. Something was wrong, something was very wrong. She was gasping for air and her body was starting to numb and she knew to herself that she was close to her limit. Her chakra was dangerously low, a wide gash on her stomach and burn marks on her back, 3 broken ribs, a concussion, a broken arm, she was broken and she didn't know if she can still be fixed. She was running... no limping through the forest as fast as she could because she knows that they need her. They never said it to her, but she just knows.

Tears tickled the corners of her eyes as she blinked back to fight them, a determined gleam in her eyes. No she couldn't possibly stop now, she has always been trying to get to them for so long that she couldn't bear to stop for even a second. She knows that if she stops she would collapse and she would never get to them. She would never be able to see them for the last time before closing her eyes in eternal slumber.

Sakura was no fool. She was shallow and weak and annoying and naive but she wasn't a fool. She knew what was happening... she knew she was dying and it will only be a matter of time before the others do too. But she wants to see them... she had seen many of her comrades fall... Ino, Tenten, Neji, Lee, Kiba, Shino, Temari, Gaara, Shikamaru, Tsunade, Shizune, and many else... even Hinata. A tear fell from her eyes when she remembered the devastated roar of agony from her blonde teammate when he saw the broken body of the girl who loved him ever since she could remember. She remembered how his eyes turned red as the Kyuubi's chakra exploded from his body, it was so strong that the trees wilted and was set on fire and the ground turned black because of the ashes. She still feels the burn on her shoulder even if it happened 2 years ago.

It's been 2 years now since the war ended and... they lost. they lost the war, they lost Konoha, they lost everything and they only have each other. The three of them, their broken and messed up and patched up family... like puzzle pieces that belongs to _different kinds_ of puzzles but the three puzzle pieces were just too damn stubborn that they packing taped and glued themselves to each other. Yeah that's what they were, and no one was going to say a damn word about it.

They've all been through so much and she was getting tired. Tired of running, tired of fighting for her life every second of the day as if if she would her eyes for a minute someone will jump out of no where and kill her. By this time, her lifeline, her last thread of sanity was a over a mile away from her now, their chakra was low and she could only guess what their condition is, a powerful presence that can be felt miles away was there too but she'd be damned before she could be stop going to them. The end was near and her last wish in this world was to see them. Her boys, her Sasuke and Naruto... oh no one would not believe how much they've grown. How much they've matured and how strong they are regardless of all the pain they felt.

Sasuke returned to them 2 years ago during the war. He was as cold and as handsome and as arrogant as the day they lost him but they wouldn't have any other way because he's their Sasuke. And Naruto... their loud, and cheeky, idiotic, mischievous Naruto has matured... sure he was still the same but there was deep understanding in him, he was better, she guess but He's their Naruto. They are the ones keeping her alive, preventing her from giving up and succumbing to the darkness that was tempting her more and more every step she take. If only she could turn back time... if only she could give them a much better life because she would do anything for them that when she realized how much she was willing risk she was surprised herself. She didn't know why but she was willing to lay down her life for them. It was stupid yet it was right because the world always only needed the two of them while she faded in the back ground. She was just their female teammate, she was just the girl from a second generation ninja family, she was just the girl who worked hard to be a ninja but has no Kekkie Genkai, she was ordinary compared to her boys and she didn't really mind... no... not anymore because she loves them so and she wants them to shine so bright with all their might... but of course now their light is dimming.

Everything just hurts so damn much. She was aching and tears were streaming down her face, she was covered in blood and dirt and sweat and she was just so damn tired but she was still standing. Yes, at last she was here.

Uchiha Madara was laughing manically on the other side of the field. His eyes no longer contained the Sharingan but it was now the Rinnegan. He had a feral look in his face as he gazed at the two bodies that laid in the middle of the field. They were beside each other, they looked so broken and alone that she managed to find the only remaining strength she have to walk... limp... crawl towards them. Just a little more... just a little more...

"What a lovely scene... so lovely that it's pathetic..." she shivered at his voice. The devil, the destroyer, the murderer. She fell on her knees near their heads and she did her best to ignore the walking man... monster towards her. She was crying, she was breaking down as she stared at two of the only strings she have in this world dying in front of her.

They were now both pale, and the ground was now covered in blood. Each had a hole in their chest, she let out a shaky breath when their eyes landed on her. Deep black soft eyes and Ocean Kind blue... she closed her eyes and started sobbing, she gritted her teeth pathetically trying to keep herself together. It felt like hours, days, years but really only seconds that she sat there until she felt cold hands wrapped around her own. Sasuke held her right while Naruto her left. She looked at them and she could only guess that they saw how much of rotten person she was becoming inside. She cried and cried and cried to the heavens and prayed to Kami to let all of this just end because she didn't think she could take any more.

The pain was gone, she didn't even feel angry anymore. She felt numb. She squeezed both of their hands to somehow reassure them. Naruto smiled while Sasuke let out a shaky breath.

"S-s-sa-k-ku-ra-chan."

"W-what is i-it Na-r-ruto-kun?" she then coughed and she felt the bitter taste of iron in her mouth and she spit it off.

"A-are y-you -o-okay?" he asked. Sasuke let out a grunt.

"S-she l-looks l-l-like shit you I-idiot. D-do you th-hink she's o-okay?"

"I-i'm trying t-to l-l-lighten u-up the m-mood y-y-you bas-tard."

"W-hy is i-it t-that until t-the very m-moment t-that w-were d-d-dying you t-two s-till f-fight?" she asked them, a smiled was on her lips, her whole attention on the two boys in front of her. They smiled too, yes... even Uchiha Sasuke smiled. There was a moment of silence.

"Do y-you h-have any reg-rets s-sakura-chan? s-s-sasuke?" - Naruto asked as he stared at the sky. It was dusk and the sky was dark. It was going to rain soon.

"Y-yes... l-living m-my life worse t-than a blind man... a-and n-not a-app-reciating w-what I h-have." It was Sasuke who answered first, there was a serious look in his face but then there was the smile again.

"B-but I'm g-glad I-im here." - he said.

"I-i'm touched t-teme." Naruto said jokingly.

"D-d-don-t p-push it D-dobe." Naruto only chuckled.

"I-I also h-have s-some... n-not t-trying h-harder to g-get you b-back... n-not r-r-realizing S-sakura-c-chan w-was l-left b-behind w-while I-I was busy g-get-ting you back... n-n-ot telling H-hinata-chan.,... I-I love her.." - he said, a tear falling from his eye.

"Oh Naruto." she whispered.

"I'm going t-to b-be seeing H-hinata-c-chan soon and y-y-you k-k-now wh-hat makes i-i-t e-ven better?"

"W-what?" Sasuke grumbled out.

"BB-because y-y-you g-guys a-a-re w-w-with me." he said.

It was as if on cue the rain started pouring and she suddenly remembered that they weren't alone. She raised my head looking up and she felt Naruto and Sasuke's grip tighten around her hand. She also felt the cold metal pressed on her neck.

"I-..." she blink owlishly, it was time. She can feel it. It was ending.

"I r-r-reg-ret n-noth-ing N-Naruto-kun, Sa-suke-kun... i-it w-was b-because of a-all t-those things t-t-that I-I learned so much."

"You Stupid Little Girl... you regret nothing eh?" - he was behind her. His voice cold and void of emotion, it sent shivers down her spine but she wasn't afraid anymore. It will end soon, she had nothing but her fading life to loose and she was welcoming it.

"N-nothing... I-I f-formed b-b-bonds... I-I can't t-turn back time... It's e-enough... w-what ab-bout y-you Uchiha M-Madara...?"

Her eyes widened and she gasp as she felt the blade leave her neck and pierce her on the back so deep that it came on to her front. She coughed blood and it poured out of her mouth, dripping on her lap. She didn't fight it. She suddenly couldn't breath. She was drowning, she doesn't remember how to breath, why is everything so blurry? Why is it that she can't feel anything?

"S-sakura-chan."

"S-s-sakura."

"I regret nothing." she smiled.

"Y-y-you d-do.." - she whispered. He twisted his katana around and she closed my eyes.

"Y-you d-d-d-do." he then pulled it out off her.

She fell on the ground. She was laying in the middle of Sasuke and Naruto, she was still holding their hands, she didn't know how she was still alive but she is. She smiled once again when she felt their grip tighten for a fraction of a second. Naruto's was first to slacken and then Sasuke soon followed. She stayed like that for a few minutes, allowing her tears fall because she was the only one left but they were waiting for her... she knows they are.

"I don't." - Uchiha Madara said once more.

She could only smile. She pity him truly because he doesn't understand...

Her eyes was beginning to close, they were heavy and she couldn't breath. This was it... This was really it... So this is how she dies. She was laying on her side, so she could see the blurry figure of her killer. She smiled at him.

 _'Oh yes you do."_

 _'I'm coming... Sasuke... Naruto...'_ she closed her eyes.

* * *

It felt like she was floating. She didn't open her eyes, she didn't say anything, she just laid there taking in the feeling of... well death maybe? Was she dead? She just wanted to rest so bad that she just don't care anymore. It wasn't warm in here nor was it cold, she doesn't feel any pain from her wounds. Is death like this? She wanted to see the others so bad but right now she was going to let herself take down her guard for the first time ever since the war. Living was tiring really, it has it's moments were your thankful you are alive but it also has it's moments where it hurts you like a bitch.

Yeah... life's a bitch...

She took a deep breath and started listening to her surroundings to calm her thoughts. It was like the wind at first but then she was sure that it was there. Someone was... singing... It felt familiar, it felt like it was real, it actually felt like her Mom.

 _Hush little Baby don't say a Word_

 _Mama's gonna buy you a Mocking Bird_

She shivered when she heard that... It was her, she was sure of it! Tears gathered in her eyes. It was her mother, her sweet, loving, caring, always there for her mother. But why was she here? The last she heard news of them was that they were still in Konoha. Madara took over Konoha and killed off all ninjas who lived there but decided to not touch the civilians. How can you be King of the World when you have no people to serve you?

 _And if that Mocking Bird won't sing_

 _Mama's gonna buy you a Diamond Ring._

She then heard a groan beside her and she froze. What the fuck is happening? She snapped her eyes open and immediately regretted it because everything was so damn bright. She closed her eyes once more and slowly sat up and she waited for the pain to come because of moving... nothing came. She felt... normal, which she hadn't felt for a very long time now. She took a deep breath and slowly opened her eyes.

...

The first thing she noticed was there were 2 figures laying beside her. Her heart hammered as she looked at them and she blinked a few times and even scratched her eyes to make sure she wasn't hallucinating... she wasn't. They were real... they were there... why were they there? Blonde hair and tan skin, whiskers on his cheeks, Naruto was there. Black hair and pale and flawless face, Sasuke was too. Both were wearing white shirts and slacks and that was when she noticed that she was wearing a white dress. It has a bow on the waist and was tide behind her in a ribbon. They were all barefooted, she noticed. Her immediate instinct was to check them for any wounds but then she realize that she can't feel her chakra... it wasn't there.

 _And if that Diamond ring turns brass_

 _Mama's gonna buy you a looking glass_

She frozed yet again when she heard that and then she snapped her eyes to see where it was coming from. They were laying... in a meadow. The green grass reached about half way to her knee if she stands up and it seems like the meadow could go on and on and on since she couldn't see it's end. The wind blew and she closed her eyes and took a breath. Every things was peaceful and there were no signs of danger. She opened her eyes once more and then slowly stood up. Her legs felt like jelly and she struggled to balance herself, it was as if she was asleep for a very long time. It took a moment to balance herself and when she was sure she wasn't going to fall down, she relaxed. She then looked at her hand and flexed her wrists, her hand was creamy white and was flawless, she wondered how the hell that happened because her hands never felt like that. Her hands had scars and it was calloused because of years of training.

 _And if that looking glass gets broke;_

 _Mama's gonna buy you a billy goat,_

Sakura then felt a strange feeling of nostalgia. Her mother always sing that song to her when she go to bed every night when she was younger. She remembered when she was 9 she told her mother to stop singing it to her because she was now a 'big girl'. She smiled bitterly... what she would give to have that back...

 _And if that billy goat won't pull_

 _Mama's gonna buy you a cart and bull_

It was as if she was snapped back to reality and she remembered how unusual the whole situation was. Granted that the whole situation _is_ unusual but seriously... what the hell is happening? And who was singing? Why does it sound so much like her... Mom?

She started walking and nearly fell down because her legs still felt like noddles. She ended up with her front forward and was crouching a little bit to avoid getting off balance. It was then a strand of her hair fell from her back and dangled. She stared at it at first, then she straightened slowly. Her hair was still the same pastel pink but.. since when was her hair this long? It can easily reach her butt. She could have sworn that her hair was shoulder length. Wait... enough about the hair and other things and start thinking about the more important ones. She shook her head. Didn't she die? Why isn't she dead? or maybe she is? then where the hell is this?

She scanned the area and noticed the tree standing a few yards away from her, since when was there a tree there? She squinted her eyes to try to see it more clearly and noticed two figures standing near it. She held her breath and waited for a moment, staring at the figures that she somehow find familiar.

 _And if that cart and bull turn over_

 _Mama's gonna buy you a dog named Rover._

She froze when the song continued and then her eyes widened when one of the two figures raised an arm and waved. Her breath hitched and then she started walking ignoring the weak feeling my legs were giving her. She then jog, trying her best to go as fast she can possibly can. She tripped and nearly fell over but continued her jog, determined to see if the figures were who she thinks they are.

' _Is it them? Is it them? No. It couldn't be... but how?'_

Her eyes watered when she got close enough to make out blonde and pale pastel pink. The woman was fair skinned with shoulder length blonde hair and had a single bang that falls down into her face. She wore a white qipao dress and underneath she wore a 3/4 tight pants and also brown sandals. The man on the other hand had dull pink hair, his skin was darker than the woman's. He wore a green loose fitting kimono shirt and he wore pants and some sandals.

 _And if that dog named Rover wont bark_

 _Mama's gonna buy you a horse and cart_

She was nearly there when she stopped to stare at them. She don't know what to feel... happy to see them? or miserable because they are here?... where ever here was. She was panting and she felt cold and warm at the same time, she was shaking and she did not know what to think because her mind seemed to not work properly. The woman smiled at her and the man winked and saluted in a casual way. A choked sob escaped her and the woman looked at her in understanding before opening her arms.

She was crying before she even landed on the woman's arms.

 _And if that horse and cart fall down_

 _You'll still be the sweetest little baby in town_

She was crying on her shoulder and it was the only thing that can be heard in the surroundings save for the woman's constant shushing to calm her down. All the emotions that she built up inside her was now pouring out. All the emotions that she wanted no one to see was being shown so freely in the presence of the only people who she can say she desperately needed right now.

Sakura was neither a Daddy's girl or a Mommy's girl since she loved them both so much that she couldn't pick. They sometimes don't understand what she's going through because they were only chunins and then they decided to live as civilians but they always know what to say and what to do and they help her as much as they can.

This man and woman in front of her is her Mother and Father and she didn't want to let go. Mebuki and Kizashi Haruno is the most insightful couple that she knows of. They seem to know what was going on at all times and there are times when they are the first to warm her of what was about to come and they always tell her exactly what to do to help her. The weird thing about it actually is that... what they say always come true, it always ended up helping her or saving someone. She was at a loss of what to say... she wasn't even sure where her voice was at right now.

"Sakura... Sakura darling, please let go. We need to talk and we don't have much time dearie." Mebuki Haruno has always been the more aggressive and the dominant of the relationship. She rarely spoke gently as she was always the one who would give you a lesson and she doesn't care if it hurts you or not as long as you learn from it. she love every bit of my Kaa-san, but this side always makes her nervous because it makes her feel like what they are about to say is going to change something big time.

She let her go and she felt her hands hold her face. She was smiling and her green eyes twinkling, the same exact copy of the green eyes that Sakura had.

"Oh it's amazing how much my little girl has grown!" She looked at her Father, who was looking at her with pride in his blue eyes. Her mother stepped aside and then her Father hugged her.

"Your so strong my blossom... so so strong and you shouldn't let others make you think otherwise. You endured so much and you bend and stretch yourself but still manage to be this beautiful girl in front of us." Her Father's gentle words touched her heart and she hugged him in return as tight as she can.

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I'm sorry for leaving you two." - she cried and her father let go of her.

"You did nothing wrong sweetheart." he said

"You did the right thing.." - her mother then took her hand. She suddenly felt the atmosphere tense and her heart beat faster.

"What is it Kaa-san? Is something wrong?" that was when they gave her a sad smile.

"I'm so so sorry that we have to ask you this but it is the only way." - her Father started. His eyes were sad but there was a smile on his face. She gave them both a confuse look and then nervously laugh.

"What is it with you two?" - her mother took a deep breath and then looked at her straight in the eyes.

"We wan't to ask you to let us go a second time blossom." It was as if time slowed and she couldn't process what her mother said and so it took her a few moments to answer.

"W-what do you mean? I-i j-just had you b-back!" she had trouble saying what she wanted to say. Her mother smiled.

"Yes... and someday we will reunite again, but as of now please let us go okay? You have to choose the right thing."

"The right thing? What?" - her mother then leaned in to kiss her forehead. She was frozen in her place.

"You died Kura- chan, together with your two team mates. Madara brought you bodies to Konoha and announced you three dead. We were devastated but he brought you to us and gave you to us. What did you say to him Sakura-chan? He said that you were a stupid girl." - Her mother said with a chuckling in the end but her eyes remained sad. It was then that she was overlooking many things around her as of now.

She was dead.

Naruto was dead.

Sasuke was dead.

They were in a Meadow.

Her parents were here.

She was alive and moving here.

Where was here?

Was she dreaming?

No she was dead, how could she dream?

What is happening?

Since when were they here?

How are they here?

Is this Heaven?

What is happening?

Her brows were furrowed and she was suddenly looking at her surroundings trying to make all that is happening make sense. Her breathing was fast and she was panicking. The hands holding her own tighten and her attention was back to the woman in front of her.

"What's happening?" she ask and her mother smiled.

"Everything will make sense soon. Sakura, in a few moments you will be given a chance to make everything better. Will you take it?" her mother ask her slowly.

"Of course." - she said. The answer was set before she could even think about it and looking at her mother and father she knew that they know it too.

"Then if you were ask to choose between making everything better and us, who would you choose?" She looked at her mother, wide eyed and shocked at what she asked.

"You of course. Kaa-san what are you asking me? What is th-" she cut her off.

"Let me change my question a little bit. If you were asked to choose between changing everything for the better by standing by Naruto-san and Sasuke-san's sides or being with us. What will you choose?"

She opened her mouth and then closed it again. Sakura was ashamed to realize that she couldn't choose. Naruto and Sasuke... they were... they were... she don't know actually. It's like.. it's her nature to want to stand by them, to protect them, to give then a better life, to help them. She loved her parents but she knew she wouldn't choose them over her two boys. It was shameful but that was the truth.

Naruto was... he was funny, protective, and always optimistic. He sees the best in people that others cannot see. He will always stand by your side. He will always be there cheering you on and giving you hope that everything will be okay. He rarely breaks his promises and he treasures the bonds he have. He was an idiot and he's annoying. He's reckless but he's strong. Naruto... Naruto was always the one giving her the will to live in that 2 years of darkness and running for their lives. It was so easy to give up but he will cheer you on.

Sasuke on the other hand... he was cold and passive and silent but he was caring in the most subtle of ways. He was strong and brave and he will grumble and tell you the plan you were proposing is stupid but he will still get on with it because he will always be with you. Sasuke may have left us once but now that he's here, he is the most loyal person you could ever meet. He will not help you with your problems but he will be there by your side. He doesn't tell you how important you are to him but he will show you. Sasuke was her strength... her source of courage.

Both were so different from the other yet at the same time so the same. During those two years they depended on each other. Trusting no one but themselves, treating each other's wounds, comforting each other though Sasuke's way of comforting usually consists of "Suck it up your better than that." or "Idiot stop sulking it will end soon." or "Shut up and eat or you'll be weak, we need you on full strength." They were her grasp in reality and without them she would have lost her mind there.

She was now shaking. She felt angry at herself. She felt as if she betrayed her parents but she also felt like she was doing the right thing every time she stand by her two boys' side. She didn't know what to choose. She couldn't bear to look in their eyes.

"There's nothing to be ashamed of Blossom." - her Father soothed her. Her chest tighten and she took a step back letting go of her mother's hand. She fell on her knees.

"I'm so sorry... I'm so sorry. God Kaa-san, Tou-san you deserve a much better daughter than me. I'm sorry, I'm sorr-"

"You are all we want Blossom." Suddenly they were kneeling in front of her also.

"You are doing the right thing. Choose them Sakura-chan, they need you even more than we do. You're family remember?" Tears were furiously streaming down her face by now.

"But why do I have to choose Kaa-san? Can't I have both? It's not fair! Your my parents and I can't even choose you!"

 _Slap._

Her right cheek was stinging. She was wide eyed and shocked and so she wasn't able to react.

"Haruno Sakura! You have to toughen up right now because all of Konoha needs you! It is fair! You have to sacrifice some things to get other things! Stop being this pathetic girl because my daughter isn't like that! She's strong! And she managed to live without us for years! What is a few years more? You need to stand by those two boys' side because it is the right thing to do and you have to do everything you can possibly can to help them, to save them even if it means sacrificing us because saving them means saving the world Sakura! Don't you see? The world is in ruins! There is no hope there! Everyone is dying! YOU HAVE TO CHOOSE THEM!"

Her mother was breathing hard and her eyes were blazing. It actually reminded Sakura of herself. Her mother always told her to control her temper and here is her mother now, temper flaring. The moment was bittersweet. She didn't know what to react to that. Who would? Your mother is asking you to sacrifice them and choose your friends.

She was such a terrible daughter and she could do nothing but wish her parents doesn't suffer because of a child like her. Who was she kidding? they already are. She was at a lost of what to do. Her tears were still streaming down her face and she was still shaking. The next thing she knew, she was laughing.

The sound that came out of her was... broken. She was laughing yet she was angry and sad and frustrated and disappointed and tired and scared and pained and... she was going crazy. Yes, she was. All of this was too much. She's not even sure if she 's still sane since the war. Maybe she really was not sane... but she wasn't insane either. She was somewhere in between and this was proof of that.

Her mother and father was watching her with a pained expression on their faces. She was still laughing and she knew that her pathetic display of emotions were hurting them. They didn't understand what she's been through and they never will, not that she want them to. She doesn't want them to see how much of a messed up person their daughter has become.

She was now crying... no wailing. She thought of all her friends that were dead. The ones who would never be able to have a family. The ones who deserved a better life. The ones who's lives ended too soon. Ino with her wide eyes and shocked expression as the enemy nin slit her throat. Hinata with a hole in her chest taking a blow from Madara to Naruto, she was laying in a pool of scarlet. Tenten and Lee caught in a middle of an explosion. Shikamaru sacrificing himself to help save some civilians from getting crushed by a boulder and in turn being crushed himself. Tsunade with a katana on her chest. Shizune and Temari and Shino whose bodies were burned beyond recognition. She was jaded. She saw many things and she don't know if her parents will still accept her as their little girl if they know. Would they still see her as innocent little sakura? The one who is always asking for cookies and bedtime stories and who cry because of a scratch. She could kill now in a blink of an eye. She was different... that Sakura was dead. Could she tell them that? Would they be horrified when they know just how much blood is in her hands? She was scared to know the answer to her question. She wanted them to see her just the same.

She smiled up on her parents, it was fake and her eyes were dull. She wiped her tears away and then slowly she stood up. She took a deep breath.

"Aishiteru Kaa-san, Tou-san... but I have to choose them." she said slowly.

It took them a few moments. Their eyes were showing how hesitant they were but there were smiles on their faces.

"I-it's okay Sakura-chan. We're going to be fine." - her mother said and then proceeded to hug her, this time without a moment of hesitation.

She loved this hug so much and she never want to let go. Never... if it weren't for the fact that she knew Naruto and Sasuke needed her. Her mother's hug was tight as if her mother was trying to pull her hard enough together so she wouldn't break anytime soon. There are many things her Mother knows not to ask questions about and this is one of them. She never ask when Sakura comes home in the middle of the night in her white healer outfit covered in blood after being gone for the past 78 hours. She never ask when she comes in Sakura's bedroom after a long and hard mission while the said girl is asleep, she would find Kunais and Shurikens lying around. The clothes that she wore during the mission has dried blood and the tiles on the floor on her bathroom had blood in between because it wasn't washed well while she was showering. Her Father also know not to ask when he sees her blankly staring outside their window the day after she comes home all bloodied up. He never ask when he hears her sobbing in her room. He never ask when she would sit in their garden for hours and hours of doing nothing but staring at the sky, at the ground, at the trees and then crying.

They were more than she deserve.

"What do I have to do that I have to choose?" - she asked. Her mother let go of her and her parents looked at each other and then took a step back, holding each other's hands.

"Our time is up Sakura-chan." - her mother's voice was soft once again. She was saying good bye.

"You should go back to you them now. All will be explained by her."

"Who are you talking about?" she asked.

"She is the one who brought us here. Remember your choice Sakura."

"Remember we will always be here for you. We are standing by your side always and we will never leave you. Your our daughter and nothing can change that not even you. Stand by them Sakura but please take care of your self and it's okay to break down once in a while. Be sure to stand up though and never give up because the Sakura I know never gives up." - her Father said.

She stood straight. Her eyes were now determined and her fist were clenched.

"I will make you proud." - they smiled.

"You always do." - her mother then motioned her to go.

"Go now Sakura-chan. This is good bye for now. Go back and promise us not to turn around and look again here okay?"

She wanted to say no but she complied. She then turned around.

"Now start walking dearie." - her mother's voice broke. Sakura closed her eyes, willing herself to walk.

"We will always love Sakura. Please take care of yourself. It's okay to be selfish sometimes." - She took a step and another and another and another and she knew that with every step she took towards the two was a step away from her parents. She wasn't going to fail them with this. She was going to make her proud. It was the only thing she could do since she can't go to them.

She heard a distant sobbing of a woman but she didn't dwell on it. She knew that if she did she might turn around and she was said not to do it so she wouldn't.

 _'One step at a time. One step at a time. One step at a time.'_ She chanted in her head like a prayer. Keep walking. Keep looking ahead. Keep your head straight. Keep thinking about Naruto and Sasuke. Keep doing what they want. Keep walking.

A tear feel from her eye and she furiously wiped it away as her pace grew faster and faster until she was running. She was running again. Always running, running and running... when will it stop? Will ever stop? Her eyes were now fixated on the ground and she didn't even know if she was running in the right direction, she just want to go as far as possible because it hurts.

She was still running, she must be near now. She was panting now and she shook her head furiously to avoid the tears. She wasn't paying her surroundings any attention at all and that was when she hit a very hard wall and fell on the ground.

"Are you blind girl?" the wall hissed. She closed her eyes and then opened them again before looking up slowly to whatever it was she face planted on. It hurt. Really it did.. she thinks her nose might be bleeding and she knew that it was her fault for not looking at where she was going but she looked up and glared at the 'wall' that _hit her_. Yes, she was blaming it for her current predicament.

Instead of a wall though, a pair of dark blue eyes stared back at her. It was mesmerizing that she stared at it for a few moments. It had a hint of green in it but most of it was the darkest of blue that she have ever seen in anyone's eyes.

She blinked at few times before frowning and then standing up. She took a look around and sighed. She really was running in the wrong direction, well you can't blame her for wanting to get out of there as soon as possible. She then looked back at the guy she bumped into. He had dark chestnut brown hair and he was pale. He was about a head taller than her and he wore a dark blue and black yukata. He was handsome but she'd seen a lot of handsome guys before that she was immune to them. She mean... She's been sleeping next to two handsome guys for the past year or so, how can she not be used to it?

She knew better than get into a fight with an unknown person in this unknown place so she bowed.

"Gomen." - she then looked at him in the eye and nodded and then started running to where she knew the two are located.

She could feel the guy looking at her back but she continued going to where my boys are. They were still unconscious and she wondered why she wasn't. She frowned at the two of them but didn't make a move to wake them up. She just stared at them with a soft smile on her lips.

 _She was willing to take down villages and kingdoms for their sake._

She was now sitting between their bodies that was face towards the sky. She got into all fours and crawled to sit next of either their shoulders and then took a deep breath. Yes, she would do anything for this two. She had always been the mediator, the one who would stop the fight before it could go much worse. She took both of their hands, the same hands she held as she was dying. She then brought their hands to her and she kissed each one and rested it on her lap. The wind blew and her hair flowed with it. She wondered whether or not to cut her hair. Her mother and father always liked her hair long... she closed her eyes. Yes, it would stay long. She wasn't going to cut it, she didn't even know if she will ever have a chance to.

Thinking of her parents hurt. They were behind her... somewhere but she wasn't going to look back. She didn't understand what they want her to do. She didn't understand why they made her choose but she knew her choice even without understanding the whole situation. It would always be her choice and she knew they knew it very well and they just wanted to be sure. She was sorry for hurting them and she was also sorry for not being sorry for her choice. They knew... but how come they do not hate her? How come they're still there?

She was a ninja and she doesn't regret it even if her profession brought death and pain to her in the last years of her life. She always loved the thrill, the adrenaline rush when your chasing someone or someone chasing you. She loved the fact that she could protect and defend but her parents doesn't understand that. They see every little scratch on her as if it was her life being cut off. Maybe it was but that's what being a ninja is, you would always end up having scars. She and her parents grew apart. She saw them less and less until she never saw them at all and she wasn't even worried for them because they knew they were there somewhere in Konoha.

She was such a terrible daughter and no one can tell otherwise because she knew it to herself.

She didn't know how long she sat there. Maybe a long time since her legs was starting to feel tired with the way she was sitting. Her feet below her as a resting place. Her eyes were closed throughout the time so maybe that was why she hadn't realize that there was someone in front just 2 or 3 meters away from them. She didn't hear the footsteps or the movements.

"You are Sakura." - She flinched, surprised as her eyes flew open to look at the owner of the voice. Sakura could have sworn that she nearly had a panic attack, being sneaked past at wasn't a good thing in those 2 years and she has been doing it for so long that she got used to it.

It wasn't a question. It was a statement. There was a Silver haired woman in front of her standing with poise and elegance that can make any woman green with jealousy, even her. She was beautiful with her purple eyes and heart shaped face. She had creamy skin and pout lips. She was wearing a Purple Kimono and her hair was tide in an elegant bun. She was beautiful, but she was still a stranger.

She instinctively moved closer to her two unconscious companions that went unnoticed by her but very much noticed by the stranger. The woman gave her a ghost of a smile which she returned with a suspicious stare.

"You are Sakura." - The woman repeated and Sakura hesitated to answer.

She slowly nodded.

"Yes. I don't believe we've met?" - She said unsure of what to say. The woman chuckled.

"No, we haven't met at all. But I met your parents, they were lovely." - Sakura eyes widened when her mother's words came back to her.

 _All will be explained by her._

That was what her mother said. The woman gave her a small bow and then she smiled again.

"I am Jikan... the goddess of Time."

It took me a moment to comprehend what she was saying. I looked at her weirdly after blinking in surprise at her declaration.

"What?" - she only smiled at me kindly.

"My name is Jikan and I am the goddess of time."

Her head was spinning again, probably the nth time of the... well the whole... _situation._ She was pretty sure it wasn't just a day that passed.

Goddess.

Time.

Dead.

She closed her eyes again, willing herself to not loose herself in her overwhelming thoughts. So much has happened that she didn't even know if she should be surprise of meeting a goddess. Why is it that even in death she was still suffering from head aches? Was she going to spend her whole afterlife like this?

She groaned.

"Aren't I dead?" - she ask, more to herself than to the woman in front of her. The woman... goddess... chuckled.

"Yes, you are child. If you accept my proposal though you will have another chance."

"Another chance, another chance.. What is it with that? What chance?! I'm dead! The world's in chaos and I'm going crazy and _I'm dead_! Others will find that fact very disturbing! Forgive me for acting this way but this is all terribly confusing just what the hell is happening here?!" - She was now yelling and breathing hard. She was unstable for the moment and the woman seem to know because she didn't say anything but she just waited for Sakura to calm down.

"It must be hard..." - the woman started and Sakura looked at her with Jaded dark eyes that seemed to have flashbacks of her past. The woman's purple eyes were sad and understanding that Sakura softened.

"I'm sorry for asking I will be asking much from you to be able to make it all succeed." - Sakura's body sagged, she suddenly felt tired.

"What do you want me to do? What do you want from me? Why me? Please... just tell me." Her voice broke. The woman stared at her for a couple of second and then nodded.

"But first I have to ask you if you are willing to let go of some things. I was the one who brought your parents here and I have explained to them what must be done and they agreed. I didn't listen to your conversation so I do not know how it must have turned out. I am sorry child. You saw your parents again... did it please you? I do not know how to lift your spirits more than that." the woman said in a hesitant manner and Sakura looked at her blankly.

"Yes. We talked and..." she didn't finish what she was saying. She just looked at down at the lying figures in front of her and smiled fondly when she heard Naruto softly snore and she forgot for a moment why she was sad in the first place when she saw Sasuke move. He was waking up already.

Sakura looked up to the woman.

"Forgive me for being rude goddess... but yes we have talked and... my choice is here." - she said and to that the goddess smiled.

It was as if on cue that someone called her name.

"Sakura?"

Before she could even look though, a pair of arms were wrapped around her and all she could see was raven hair.

* * *

Sasuke couldn't believe his current situation as of now.

The First thing he felt when he was finally regaining conciousness was that he was laying on the ground. It wasn't uncomfortable, it was actually calming. He also felt relaxed as if he just slept in a long time and it was as if he wasn't covered in wounds and it was as if he hadn't died...

Wait...

He was dead.

He was dead?

Sasuke found himself not caring for the moment. Naruto and Sakura were with him, he was sure of that, he can feel them. No, really... he can _feel_ them. It was as if it was instinct that he can feel their presence and of course it was also the fact that he could feel small hands on his own. It was Sakura's he was sure. He know her hands just as much as he know his because of all the times she held them. She always did like holding their hands.

He felt at peace. He only felt like this when he was with these two and he first felt it two years ago and he knew to himself that he was never going to let this peace go. Sasuke never really understood just how much the two meant to him and he came into that conclusion when Naruto pushed him out of the way of a blow that might have killed him and ended up being in a tangled mess on the ground with the blonde giving the enemy an angry sneer and a loud yell of "I'm the only one that has a right to kick this bastard's ass!" and also when Sakura took a blow for him and nearly dying of blood loss, if it wasn't for Naruto's endless chakra supply and his average chakra control and Sakura's excellent Healing abilities, she would have died and Sasuke would have lost his mind.

 _He was willing to destroy armies for their safety._

Yes they were important to him and they knew that, he wasn't going to tell them that he cared any time soon though.

"Forgive me for being rude goddess... but yes we have talked and... my choice is here."

Sasuke froze when he heard that familiar voice and his eyes snapped open. The light was bright at first so he squinted his eyes to be able to see a little better. The first thing he saw was pink hair and green eyes though they weren't looking at him.

It was Sakura.

"Sakura?"

He was up and he was hugging her the next millisecond. He was going to think about the embarrassing teasing later, right now she was here.

Wait... weren't they dead?

He then felt her hug him back and all thoughts were set aside for the moment. It was the weird thing about his bond with the pink hair medic and blonde haired idiot. All rational thoughts will just fly out of the window if it was about this two's safety. He doesn't know why though and he find himself not caring.

He then let her go and began looking at her from up to down checking her for any signs of injuries that got her chuckling at him. He blushed in embarassment but nevertheless kept on checking.

"S-sasuke! I'm fine! S-stop!" She was giggling and he frowned at her. She gave him a smile that only made his mood darken.

He failed in protecting her. He failed again. Why is it that he always does?

He felt a hand on his face and he looked up and was met with piercing emerald orbs.

"I'm fine. We're fine." she said. The first thing he noticed then was that she was right, the second was that she was wearing a white dress and he was also wearing a shirt and pants that was also white, the third on the other hand caught his attention, her hair was long. He furrowed his brows and reached out to touch a strand.

"Yeah, it's long once again. Are you feeling okay?" - He looked at her.

"Hn." she scowled at him but then sighed.

"Yep, he's fine." - she nodded to herself.

"I'm glad."

Sasuke's head whip around to look at the source of the voice, and instinctively moved closer to his pink haired teammate just in case the owner was dangerous. It was a woman with silver hair and purple eyes and she was smiling. He narrowed his eyes.

"Who are you?" - He used the voice he usually have when he was suspicious of someone. The dobe always said that it was creepy and cold that if he didn't know Sasuke for a long time he would be freaked out. Sakura or Bookworm as he always calls her on the other hand said that if he ever use this voice at her she would punch him. He didn't like that one bit because the girl's punch is to be avoided at all cost or else you die. He hear Sakura sigh while the woman bowed slightly.

"I am Jikan, goddess of time." - He raised a brow at her, for a second he was unbelieving... and then he realized that he was supposed to be dead but he was here somewhere. Is this the afterlife? He didn't think so, it was different than he imagined. At a loss of what to do or say, he looked at Sakura who shrugged.

"It's ok Sasuke-kun, i've been talking with her for while and she hasn't tried to kill me yet... well you get my point." Sakura sighed, once more realizing that she was dead. That thought alone was depressing.

"Your not dead." - they looked at each other and then to the goddess. She smiled at them and then gestured to their blonde Ramen loving idiot who was snoring still deeply unconscious.

"Let's wait for him to wake up." she said. Sasuke looked at her deadpanned, the idiot wouldn't wake up even though there's going to be a thunderstorm at this moment and Sasuke wasn't a patient person... no... so he decided that he wasn't going to wait instead he leaned his body to the blonde and boink him in the hand.

To Sasuke's dismay the idiot didn't wake up. Sakura giggled and he glared at her.

"Let me." - Sakura said as she too leaned closer to the blonde and then whispered in his ear.

"Naruto... Sasuke's eating your ramen." - almost as if on cue the blonde's eyes snapped open and he sat up.

"NOOOO!" Naruto was panting and had a hand on his chest. His eyes found Sakura's and he held her on both shoulders and started shaking her slightly.

"Sakura-chan!n I had a bad dream! Teme was eating my Ramen! NO! He isn't eating it is he Sakura-chan?!" Sakura was giggling.

The Blonde.. still panicking search for his Raven haired teammate and when he took sight of him, he immediately jumped and then wrestled like his life depended on it.

"TTEEEEMMMEEE! WWWHHHEEERRREEEE"SSSSS MMMMYYYY RRRRAAAAMMMENNN!"

Sasuke was beginning to question his sanity since he was able to spend time with this two for the past 2 years. Damn, even in death they were annoying the hell out of him and he, for the life of him, can't seem to leave them.

Sakura, damn her, was just laughing.

"Damn it you idiot get. off. me!" - he yelled before pushing the blonde off of him by his feet that sent the poor boy a couple of meters away from them.

Sasuke was pretty damn sure his hair is going to turn white very early if situations such as this continues. To his dismay, he realized that there was going to be much worse situations than this for the sole reason that those two were his team mates. He groaned internally but then glared darkly when Naruto sat up from where he landed.

"Damn it, Teme... that hurt." - he pouted and Sasuke stared at him in annoyance.

Naruto rubbed his head for a few moments before noticing that it wasn't just the three of them there. His eyes brightened in the typical Naruto way and grinned.

"Hey! Who's the pretty lady?!" Sasuke sighed while Sakura face palmed at his antics.

"Hello Child. I am Jikan... the goddess of time." - The two watched their blonde companion's expression to that. Naruto shrugged.

"Cool. So what's up?" - He said.

They both looked at him incredulously while the goddess chuckled once again. Naruto, who soon noticed their look, gave them a pout.

"What? It's not like this is the first time something out of ordinary has happened in my existence you know! I do have Kyuubi inside me!" - he exclaimed.

Sasuke merely looked away while Sakura thought he had a point. It really was wasn't the first time they come across things that usually doesn't happen and here they were... defying reality once again. Sakura could only rolled her eyes.

"Oh you three are amusing when interacting with each other... Your bond is something to envy." The three looked at the woman.

"Ahhh Arigatou Lady-san but aren't we dead? Is this the afterlife? Do you have Ramen here?" Sakura took a pebble that was near her and threw it at the blonde so fast that he wasn't even able to dodge.

"Ow Sakura-chan I was just asking?!"

"Is Ramen the only thing you ever think about?!" Naruto pouted.

"Shut up both of you. I want to hear the answer." - Sasuke snapped and they both went silent.

The Goddess was silent for a moment as she looked at them as if she was analyzing them. Her purple eyes held curiosity and interest and when she smile it was as if she found everything amusing even if they were acting very rudely in front of her; a goddess.

"Your are not dead..." - she started.

"I remember dying." - Sasuke said deadpanned.

"Yes, your bodies died but you are alive. You are here in my and my brother's haven. You are trapped as of now in time." she explained.

By now Naruto already went closer, he was already sitting beside Sakura as he too listened. His expression was serious, it was one of the few times where you will see that Naruto wasn't just the idiot he seemed to be. He was also one of the most observant people you will ever meet.

"Why are we here?" - Sakura asked the question that she was wondering about ever since she woke up. The woman was silent again for a few moments like she was thinking about what she was about to say.

"You... you are here because the ending shouldn't be." - the woman said then her brows furrowed and then she rephrased what she said.

"You are here because the ending is not how it is originally written... the world I mean... It wasn't suppose to end this way." she said.

"But it did, did it? I remember dying, I remember slipping away and I remember they were too." Naruto stated while the woman nodded her head.

"Your deaths wasn't suppose to be like that you see. Something messed up the... story line... you can say. There were things that wasn't suppose to be there and there were things that weren't suppose to happen. Lives were lost, ending in a way that was very different from the original."

"What do you want us to do? It's not like we can do anything... were dead." - Sasuke crossed his arms on his chest. He looked at his team mates and they too had the same confuse look he had. What did the woman want them to do? Go back in time?

It was as if every thing came in slow motion... everything suddenly fell into place and he felt light headed. His eyes were wide and when he looked at Sakura she was wide eyed as well. She understood, Naruto on the other hand was looking at the ground like he was thinking. This woman... the goddess... has the power of time. Is that really what she wants them to do? Go back in time? Was that even allowed? Sasuke couldn't help but doubt but he couldn't help but hope also.

"It seems like you already know what I wan't you to do. Yes... I want you to go back in time." - she said.

Sasuke realized he wasn't breathing.

* * *

Naruto already knew where everything was leading to. He also knew that his teammates do too. He couldn't believe it... they could save many lives... Tsunade, Jiraiya, Gaara, Shikamaru, Neji, Ino, Tenten... there were so many who fell... even Hinata-chan.

His heart clenched as he thought about her. Her beautiful dark blue hair and lavender eyes. How she looked at him with happiness of seeing him okay as she laid there in a pool of her own blood. How she caressed his face for the last time, how her hands became colder every second. He remembered how she slipped away. How the spark in her eyes faded into nothingness and then her hand slipped away from his face and it fell limply on her stomach. He remembered her whispering that she loves him before death took her. He didn't had the chance to tell her how he felt, he was foolish to think that they had more time then. Now, he had the chance to see her again.

He had the chance to protect his teammates. Sakura and Sasuke... his brother and his sister. What a messed up family they were.

An orphan, an Avenger and an outcast. He knew that most wouldn't view his Sakura-chan as such but when they were younger he would always see her crying because she was being bullied by other kids. He was just too scared to approach her because she might be afraid of him too. He wasn't going to let anything happen to his precious people this time around. He would protect them with all his might. He raised his head and looked at his dark haired team mate first and then his Pink haired one and he smiled a smile that was ready to sacrifice anything for the ones that it was for.

 _He was willing to start a war for to fight for them._

Through thick and thin they were going to be stuck with each other.

He then looked at the woman with the silver hair and purple eyes, the one who introduced herself as Jikan, the goddess of time and he grinned.

"Who am I to deny an adventure for a second chance?" - He asked and the other two looked at him surprised. He looked at them determined and he nodded at them and they understood immediately... they always do.

"Well... it's not like I have anything to do." - Sakura muttered from beside him.

"Hn." Sasuke was being his usual Uchiha-I'm-too-cool-to-even-talk-to-you-in-full-sentences self.

He grinned and looked at the woman again who was also smiling at them brightly.

"I hope you will make a better future Naruto-san, Sasuke-san... Sakura-chan." - the woman paused for a moment as she looked at Sakura and Naruto wondered why. Sakura-chan's face saddened for a moment before she smiled again.

"You will find many things changed as you return to your younger selves' bodies. The bodies you will return to is young, people will find it suspicious if you suddenly became strong so it is better if you start young. Many things will change such as the date of your birth Sakura-chan. Everything would make sense as to why it is the way it is when you are already there." -She said and they nodded.

"People who are suppose to be dead by that time will still be alive, the sacrifice has been made. You will be strong, and when people will begin to notice you, you shall tell them you are "Atarashi Hajimari" which means A new beginning."

The goddess' face grew serious as she stepped forwards and she went in front of Naruto first.

"Uzumaki Naruto shall be known as "Atarashi Taiyo" or "A new Sun" because he gives light and he gives Purpose. He is loyal, the comrade that is willing to start a war to fight for his brother and sister." Her hand caressed his cheek and he felt the back of his left ear burn, he flinched but he didn't feel as if he was endanger so he relaxed. He didn't know how the woman knew the lengths of what he was willing to do for them but she does. The woman moved next to Sasuke who was on his right while Sakura on his left.

"Uchiha Sasuke shall be known as "Atarashi Tsuki" or "A new Moon" because he gives determination and he gives strength. He is brave, the Warrior who is willing to destroy armies for his brother and sister's safety." Her hand caressed Sasuke's cheek the same way only now it was on his right. Sasuke tensed also but a few moments later relaxed.

She then looked at Sakura and she made her way towards her and they stared at each other for a moment, silently having a conversation. The goddess smiled warmly.

"Haruno Sakura shall be known as "Atarashi Towairaito" or "A new Twilight" because she gives balance and she gives hope. She is resilient, the girl who everybody said was ordinary that is willing to lay down her life and also willing to take down villages and kingdoms for her brothers." She leaned in and gave Sakura a kiss on the forehead and immediately the two boys saw a few strands of their pink haired teammate's hair became red by her bangs.

"The three of you will be stronger together and the three of you will change the future. You three are by far one of the bravest people I have ever met." - she said.

"Is that it then? Are we going?" - she nodded.

"I will be in touch soon, you are allowed to share where you have come from with the people that you trust in that time but be sure to make a right choice because one wrong move would make the future exactly the same." - she warned and they nodded. Sakura then moved and inserted herself between her Naruto and Sasuke and she grabbed their hands.

"There is not much to be explained because all we come to your understanding if you are already there."

The three of them exchanged glances, they all had determined looks on their faces.

"We are ready." - It was Sakura who spoke for them.

"Very well then... I wish you success." - the goddess spoke.

It was as if they were sucked in a black hole and everything became a whirlwind of colors, that made them dizzy that they closed their eyes. They felt like they were slipping away from each other but they could also feel each other. It was being pulled up and down and left and right and being the way they were at the same time.

The meadow was long gone and they were somewhere and no where. He felt Sasuke's presence flicker and he felt much farther, it was only a moment after that that he too was flickered away and then everything went black as he felt himself falling down.

.

.

.

.

* * *

 **I hope you all like it! This is my first ever Naruto fan fic and I just really love team seven very much so I tried my best making this. I love their story and their bonds is really something to be jealous of. Please post your comments and review and please be polite with your comments and honest. Wow seriously! It's a long ass chapter with 11, 681 words... Whoooooooooooooo! By the way... the picture that I used in this story is not mine and I am not sure how to ask permission because I rarely even use my computer to actually know these kind of stuff... sorry for being such a cave woman but if you are by any chance the owner of the picture and if you do not want me using it, please send me a massage and I would take it off.. Promise!**

 **ForgetMeNot...**

 **Because no one wants to be forgotten..**

 **Later luvs... 3**


	2. Chapter 2: Where it Starts (Sasuke)

**Chapter Two: Where it Starts** **(Sasuke)**

 _Thoughts and emphasized words or phrase_

 _ **Inner**_

Normal

 _Kyuubi_

 ** _Jikan on their Minds_**

 **Disclaimer: Naruto's not mine... it's depressing.**

* * *

It has been hours and for some reason it was still not finished. His patience was wearing thin and he didn't know how much he could handle.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Fugaku tensed.

"You can do it Mikoto-sama! Just a little bit more! You can do it!" He heard muffled voices urging his wife to keep pushing and then there was another scream. Fugaku shook his head and let out a breath to keep himself from going insane because of all the noises that can be heard but can't be understood inside.

He was pacing again and Fugaku for the life of him couldn't keep himself still for even a few seconds. Who knew waiting for your wife who was giving birth can be this bone chilling? The first time was by far the worse since he had no idea what to expect and he didn't know what happens inside the room where his wife was giving birth. Since this is the second, Fugaku thought that he was ready for it and that he knew what to expect but kami knew how wrong he was. He swore that this is going to be the last; he couldn't handle any more.

Uchiha Fugaku is one of the most respected Shinobi in Konoha. He was a clan head and he was a father of a prodigy that was sure to soon move upwards in ranks in a fast rate. He has always been a man of few words. He was a man that wouldn't show what he was thinking even if an army of enemy nin were on it's way to Konoha. His actions now are simply ridiculous but he couldn't help himself but feel restless since this was his wife and child he was talking about. It has been five hours since his wife was announced to be giving birth and still there was no news until now. Some women would just go out of the room but have no time to talk because they were ordered to do something. He tensed yet again when he heard another scream that was surely his wife. How painful was it anyway? He wasn't sure if he wanted to know.

He took a deep breath and begun pacing once again when he realized that he stopped because of the scream. There was only an hour before sunrise, July 23rd, he and a few others weren't able to have even a wink of sleep the night before. He just went home from a council meeting when suddenly he was immediately called here. The Uchiha Healers and Midwives were the ones taking care of it. Itachi was already there by the time he arrived outside the delivery room.

Itachi.

Fugaku stopped his pacing for a moment to look at his son who was sitting in one of the uncomfortable seats there. His back was straight and his hands were fisted on his lap, grasping the fabric of the black pajamas he was wearing. His hair was in a ponytail and Fugaku noticed that the boy also tensed when another scream was heard. He was told a few hours ago to go back to sleep but the boy insisted and Fugaku was much too preoccupied with trying to somehow block the screams to argue with him. The boy was sweating and was staring at the ground like his life depended on it.

There was another scream and he tensed yet again for a moment before he began feeling a twinge of annoyance bubble in his chest. How much longer was it going to take? Was the midwife even doing her job right? It didn't take this long when Itachi was born... in fact... It only took an hour and then it was finished but this... was just too much. Fugaku found himself swearing that this will be the last again.

Many would think otherwise but Fugaku knew to himself that he would lose it when something bad happens to his wife and the still unborn child. Mikoto, Itachi and probably also the child are the only ones capable of getting past his defenses like it was a walk in the park. They were literally gliding their way across the dark hallways, fake routes and trap doors that was his personality. The wait was slowly driving him crazy but he knows that even though he was a man to be feared in battle, he was pathetic and helpless when it comes to these situations. He ran a hand in his hair and took a deep breath for the nth time that he was there.

He stopped his pacing again and then begun making his way to the incredibly hard seat that was making a squeaking sound whenever he moved. (He knew this because he spent the first hour seating in it.) He sat down beside Itachi who flinched, probably not noticing him come closer. In any other time, he would've lectured him about staying alert in all situations no matter how hard it was but then Fugaku once again found himself too tired to even think about it any longer and he resisted the urge to sag in the squeaky sit that he sure to get rid of after this whole ordeal was over. The sound coming from it was doing his determined trying to find peace in mind no justice.

He was tired obviously, since he was now cursing even the innocent chair (Innocent yeah.. but undeniably annoying). Another scream was heard, but this time it was longer and tired but was still trying. Fugaku closed his eyes not wanting to dwell on it.

A few moments later he realized that everything suddenly became quiet. The only sound that could be heard was breathing and the loud ticking sound coming from the old clock that was on the above where the door was. Why was it so silent? Fuagku focused on his hearing and he could hear silent murmurings.

He was about to stand up and march towards the door when suddenly the door opened revealing one of the midwife's assistants. Her eyes were downcast and her expression solemn and Fugaku couldn't help but be bothered by it. Was there something wrong?

"Fugaku-sama... the midwife wants to speak with you." - she said and he stood up and Itachi did too.

"I think it might be better if Itachi-sama stays here for a while." - she then said and Fugaku furrowed his brows but then he looked at Itachi.

"Stay." - The boy, although it was clear in his expression that he did not like it, nodded.

He wasted no time after that to go in. His posture was stiff and his mind was swirling with thoughts that he could only hope was not true. There were 5 other women there and his eyes drifted towards the bed where a body was. He slowly approached it and feared the worse for a moment when he saw her eyes were closed but then he noticed her breathing. He stared at her for a moment and then she slowly opened her eyes and they immediately landed on him. She was pale and weak. Her hair lay splattered on the pillow supporting her. She looked like she was about to fall unconscious sp he immediately went to her side. He took her hand and he saw her smile. He sighed in relief. She was okay... yes she was going to be.

It took Fugaku a millisecond to realize that if there was nothing wrong with his wife then...

His eyes snapped at the midwife's direction that was holding a little body covered in a bundle of blankets. He distantly remembered when Itachi was born, it was a similar scene but there was something different with this, something lacking, it was too still, too silent... the baby wasn't crying.

No.. it can't be, right? No...

A million thoughts raced in his mind and his wife... who somehow pieced it all together; his expression, the solemn atmosphere and the lack of crying. She was wide eyed looking at the midwife with a horrified expression. Tears formed on her eyes as she began gasping for air whilst trying to sat herself up.

"No..."she whispered, her eyes were hopeful... begging the midwife to assure her that it was alright. Nothing was wrong.

"I'm so sorry for your loss. We did our best but the baby was stillborn." - the midwife said.

Mikoto let out a pained cry. She began trying to sit up, tears were not streaming down her face.

"No! That's not true! My baby! My baby! YOUR LYING! NOO!" - she screamed and Fugaku sat down on the bed and took her hands that was trying to escape to help herself to sit up.

Mikoto was wailing and Fugaku, for all he wa worth... couldn't do anything about it.

* * *

It was like someone threw a bucket of cold water on him when he heard his mother's wailing. It was a cry of pain and agony that was different from before his Otosan was called in. Slowly, he stood up, taking a moment to wait for his legs to get used to his wait because it was numb after hours of sitting. There was a cry again and he could hear his Father's voice trying to sooth his Mother. Did something happen? Was his sibling alright?

He froze for a moment. Surely that wasn't the case right? He was young, but Itachi Uchiha was no fool.

He took a step forward but then froze once again. Otosama told him to stay... he heard his mother again and his brows furrowed. What could've gone wrong? Itachi prayed to Kami that nothing did. Slowly he went closer to the door separating him and them. He then slowly opened the door.

The volume of the cries intensified. Maybe it was because the door was open now and there was no barrier but now he was sure that his mother's cries wasn't because she was still giving birth but rather... she was crying... if he didn't know better he'd say she was mourning... was she?

Slowly, he went in and at first no one noticed that he was there. He watched as his mother's face was buried on his Father's chest. She was clutching his chest and she was screaming while crying and she occasionally pound her fist in his Father chest. His Father was hugging her but he did nothing to stop her. Itachi's eyes then traveled to the midwife in charge there, she was holding something... he walked closer, still unnoticed by the people there.

He took a look again on his mother and father and stared at the midwife standing in front of him although she was facing the bed where his parents were. He lifted his hand and took a little of her skirt and pulled to get her attention.

Her eyes widened when she caught sight of him and she gasp, the others who were still there looked at him too.

"I-is that my baby brother?... or sister?" - he asked softly hesitating for a moment.

The midwives looked at each other but none of them answered, they only stared at the ground.

"Can... can I hold him?" - he asked once more.

"Itachi! I told you to stay outside!" - He flinched when he heard his father's booming voice and immediately he faced him and bowed.

"G-gomen ne Otosan... I- I just want to see... I just want to h-hold..." he said. His father didn't answer and a few moments of silence later he looked up, curious as to why his Father wasn't scolding him.

He then met the eyes of his mother.

Her eyes were red and there was a pained expression on her face and it looked like she going to fall into pieces any moment. Tears were still on her face and Itachi took a step forward to her and another and another, until he was already crawling on the bed to his mothers side. She hugged him and he returned it immediately and she begun crying again.

"Why are crying Kaasan? Are you not happy?" - he asked.

Her voice was broken and she was gasping for breath. Itachi felt her hand between them and it curled on where her heart was.

"I-I... I..." - she was crying again. It was like she didn't know what to say.

"C-can I... hold him Kaasan?" -Her cries lessened but she was still sobbing.

"O-o-of c-c-ourse.. Ta-chi- kun. J-just be c-careful okay? Y-you might w-w-wa-ke h-him up." - she said and she let him go. Itachi noted how her voice broke at the end of what she was saying.

"Be c-careful w-w-with him o-okay?" he nodded and he let out one of his rare smiles. He slowly got off the bed and approached the midwife that was holding his sibling. The midwife for a moment hesitated but then crouched down and slowly put the unmoving little body on the awaiting arms of his big brother.

Itachi stared awed. The baby was pale and he had black hair that all Uchihas had. Itachi noted that they both had the same nose and that they looked similar and a small smiled graced his lips.

"Is he... she..." - Itachi didn't know what to say, the woman in front of him cut him off.

"He." She said and Itachi looked at the little bundle, his face lighting up because as he processed the information that he already have a little brother.

Itachi suddenly wasn't a ninja in training at that moment. Suddenly, he was just a kid, staring in the face of his little brother that he swore he was going to try his best to protect. He was perfect in his eyes, so why was kaa-san crying? Why was everyone so quiet? Why is no one celebrating? He frowned for a moment, briefly looking at his surroundings as a silent question to his parents that was looking at him, studying his expression.

"Kaa-san, what are you going to name him?" - he asked.

His mother's expression confused him, she started crying and his father wasn't saying anything but was only staring on the bed where her mother was still at.

Itachi was confused. Why were they acting this way? Was there something wrong with his baby brother? He couldn't seem to find anything wrong when he tried checking. For a moment, he studied his parents that was acting as if they have lost something rather than gained. It was after that that Itachi slowly looked back at the body he was carrying only to realize that an exact replica of his black orbs was staring at him now too.

The baby blinked. Itachi also did. The baby blinked again and Itachi did so to. The baby opened his mouth and let out a soft coo and then continued blinking innocently up at him.

"Kaa-san, I'm sorry... but I think I woke him up." - he said and his parents then looked at him and so did the midwives. Their eyes widened when they saw the baby's eyes were open and blinking owlishly at them all.

"Oh my Kami-sama!"

"I-it's impossible!"

"Fugaku!" - Mikoto exclaimed as she looked at Itachi and then the baby wide eyed and she started crying again.

Itachi frowned, wondering why she was always crying this day. Were women always like this after giving birth? Was she like this when she gave birth to him? Itachi didn't think so.

"It's a miracle!" - His Father stood up from where he was and in a blink of an eye was in front of him. Startled, Itachi took a step back but his Father paid him no mind. He had never seen his Father act like this, Fugaku's eyes were wide and was staring at the little body Itachi was carrying like he couldn't believe what he was seeing. His Father's hand was shaking when he reached out and hesitantly touched the side of the little one's face and the baby gurgled and ahhed at him, eyes once again blinking innocently.

He felt his father slowly take the little body from him and Itachi obliged, watching curiously at the interaction. Fugaku then went back to Mikoto's side, Itachi could have sworn that his legs were shaking. His Mother was smiling and crying at the same time as she laid her eyes on the baby. Fugaku gaved him to her and she hugged him.

"Oh my gods... oh my gods! Thank you... thank you thank you thank you... my little Sasuke... my little Sasuke... thank you thank you thank you." she chanted as she swung herself back and fort, hugging the little body. Her eyes were closed but tears were streaming down her eyes.

Itachi then looked at the midwives who was looking dumbstruck, staring at the scene playing in front of them. Slowly, the head midwife looked at him.

"Never in my whole life... it's a miracle." - he heard her murmur to herself.

"I-itachi... come here." - he heard Mikoto said and immediately his head snapped at their direction. She smiling at him and gesturing him to come closer. He did and when he was there, she hugged him.

"Oh my sons... my miracles..." - she said and without saying a word, Itachi hugged her back.

"What happens here doesn't leave the room until I personally will say it, understood?" - he heard his father's voice ordered.

"Of course Fugaku-sama." - he heard a reply.

"We will speak about this later... but for now... leave us." - his father said once again. Itachi did not hear a reply but he heard footsteps that were headed out of there. It was when the door closed that Mikoto let him go.

"It's a miracle Fugaku."

"I know."

"This shouldn't be possible."

"I know."

"...i'm glad it happened." - there was a moment of silence.

"I know."

The baby... Sasuke... looked at them each. To Fugaku, then Mikoto and then him and then after a few moments... the baby cried.

.

* * *

.It wasn't obvious... but Sasuke, as much as he was trying to keep his cool was starting to feel a little bit annoyed over how things were going. It has been more or less 2 and something months now since his (miraculous psshhh) birth and he was starting to feel a little bit antsy with sitting and waiting, and... don't even let him get started with the normal things that babies do. He sighed in annoyance and continued staring at the ceiling of his room like it was the most interesting thing in the world for him at that moment. He was still not used to the creaking and squeaking and other sounds that he knew wouldn't be heard, shouldn't be heard when you are in hiding which was what he was doing before he was sent here. He was paranoid and with Sakura and Naruto no where in sight, he could hardly even sleep anymore.

Everything was exactly the same, and Sasuke didn't know how to handle that fact. He chose not to acknowledge it for now because he doesn't even know how to deal with it in the first place. No matter how much he tried though , he couldn't shake off the certain feeling in his chest every time he see _them._

His mother was as beautiful as he last remembered her. Long black hair, soft black eyes, caring and humble demeanor. He remembered not taking his mother for granted when he was younger. He remembered her lullaby's, her cooking, her soft reassuring voice. His father... still as strict and stoic but protective. As a child he only saw a man who do not see him as an equal to his older brother but as an adult now witnessing it all over again, he could see the hard eyes of his father soften every time he looks at them. Even when busy he would find the time in the day to be with them. His Brother... the silent boy he remembered from his childhood, the brother he idolizes, the brother who gave up his own life because he loves him too much. The selfless older brother who has the misfortune of receiving a selfish little brother like him.

He had every thing that he wished he had and yet why was he afraid?

He can feel it. The cold fingers of fear near him but not touching him. It was maddening and every time he felt as if he just want to forget everything for a moment and just love his family that was here, something was pulling him back whispering things to him that he was unworthy for every thing that was here.

His infant self cried when he saw them together for the first time. He missed them but at the same time, he didn't want to acknowledge them. He didn't want to acknowledge the fact that they were here again. It might sound harsh and ungrateful but Sasuke knew it was the truth. He love them, really, but every time he see them he felt as if he was letting them down. He wasn't their Sasuke, the Sasuke that they were suppose to have was a cheerful young boy with a heart wide open for the world to see and right now, even if he was going to be young again, he could never be that boy because that boy died together with his whole clan in a massacre that happened in a different time but the same place as where he was now. He felt as if he was stealing them the memory of being with a son that wasn't messed up like he knew he was. He felt as if he stole their chance of being with that Sasuke. He already died once and not even living again with everything around him normal was going to change that fact. He knew that he was never going to be normal and that the nightmares would never go away and that the blood on his hands still followed him and in turn contaminated the hands of the infant he was suppose to be now. The war left him to broken to be fixed and all he could do was make use of the broken pieces and try to piece himself pathetically back together. Thank Kami Sakura and Naruto was there although he is never going to say that to them.

 _'It's strange.'_ he thought as he took a moment to once again scan the room he was in. He really was back in time, every thing around him was too detailed to be other than reality. He sighed as countless thoughts flew into his mind at the same time when he realize that since they were going to go from the start... then they have a gazillion things to do before even reaching 12.

He needed to see Sakura and Naruto... he needed them _now_.

He could feel all the chakra signatures in the house, they were all peaceful signifying that their asleep. His... parents and his... brother.

He doesn't deserve this chance.. but somehow he was here.

Although he couldn't express it now, although he couldn't even do the simplest thing for the time being... he was thankful and so he was going to wait. He knew that those two would come because they would never leave him or let him leave. They were going to come after him or maybe for all he knew they were already here... somewhere in the village. Where they were? it doesn't matter but he would see them soon. They would come... he was sure of it...

Because they always did.

And it was as if on cue that he felt something warm in his chest and his eyes widened and his adult mind became alert.

It was Naruto.

.

.

* * *

 _ **.PLEASE READ!**_

 _ **.**_

 _ **Okay so it is short compared to my first chapter and so sorry about that but I was thinking that if I put everything that happened in their birth in one chapter then well... let's just say that it's going to so loooooonnnggg..**_

 ** _If you guys don't like a long descriptions about their feelings then i'm sorry but for me, it's kind of necessary._**

 ** _The three if them experienced some things that left them broken beyond repair and by broken I mean hanging between insanity and reality. War does that to people I guess and it wasn't really just an ordinary war since they lost and they saw every one of their comrades go down, some deaths more barbaric than the others._**

 ** _If your sanity is hanging by a thread and then you are faced with situation's such as this and Sakura's when she was talking with her parents, I think thoughts would also go haywire. They are recovering and this story is about how they are going to deal with fixing the future and at the same time trying to fix themselves. They've been alone for 2 years basically doing anything, literally anything, to survive. I think I'll lose my mind too. But that's just my opinion, I don't know about you guys but I'm pretty sure the description about their feelings are going to shorten as time passes by._**

 ** _Their births are pretty important because it is where it all starts. I can't just skip these things because them meeting their parents is just something that has to be done and written because it's going to show how mentally stable the three are or aren't._**

 ** _It's love at first sight you know and no matter how clich_ é _ **tha** t is, it helps._**

 ** _This chapter and the following chapter are basically gonna show how jaded and shattered Sasuke, Sakura and Naruto are going to be dealing with the live proof that every thing that was taken away from them is here again and if they do not do anything might be taken away a second time._**

 ** _And so this ends Sasuke's part of where it starts..._**

 ** _I hope you like it!_**

 ** _Sorry for the late update by the way, i had a hard time deciding how to write this. I literally spent hours just typing and then deleting and then typing again, it a tiring process but every time I take a rest a new idea comes up and i'm like 'hey i should write it before I forget!' and then after doing so I realize that it suck and there was no way i'm going to add it. It too troublesome and yet I enjoy it._**

 ** _Toodles then... :*_**


	3. Chapter 3: Where It Starts (Naruto)

**Chapter Three: Where it Starts (Naruto)**

 _Thoughts and emphasized words or phrase_

 ** _Inner_**

Normal

 _Kyuubi_

 ** _Jikan on their Minds_**

 **Disclaimer: Must I say it? It already hurts... Mischievous Naruto, Grumpy Sasuke and Cheerful Sakura... they're not mine.. T_T**

* * *

.

It was chaos... everything was going so wrong than planned.

Minato could feel his heart hammering. His wife just gave birth and he didn't even have time to go take a look of the new member that he has been dreaming of since he married the love of his life. He could hear the shouts from outside and he knew that whatever or whoever was there was succeeding in defeating the ANBUs placed outside to guard. Whoever it was, he was on his way here and Minato will damned before he would let that someone get near his child and wife.

They were the reason why he was living now and he swore to protect the both of them even before he had them. He wasn't going to fail now, now that he had the family he has been longing to have.

There was a scream of pain and everyone inside tensed. Biwako... who was the midwife in charge clutched the little body to herself and Kushina looked at him with a fear etched expression that made him clench his fist.

"Minato..." he heard Biwako started and he snapped his head to her direction signalling her to keep quiet, she hesitated for a moment. Her expression was grave and he immediately assumed that it was because of the incoming intruder. She nodded a moment later before she glanced at the little body she was holding, there was something in her expression that made him wonder what she was thinking in the moment. He was about to ask when he heard someone chuckle.

Everyone tensed even more, if that was even possible. The chuckle was cold and there was something malicious and sinister in it that made him stop everything even his breathing for a moment.

There was figure in the dark, it was just standing there looking at them and from the looks of it, it was male. He could see the outlines of a black cloak even if the figure was hidden in the shadows.

"Who are you?"

The figure tilted his head to the side as if acting innocent and then slowly raised a han8d and then pointed to himself.

"Me?" he asked and then there was a a deep chuckle.

"I'm no one..." - he said in a playful voice.

"Leave. You are not welcome here." - he growled out.

This man was dangerous, there was no doubt about that seeing that he took down 7 ANBUs in a record time. The man's movement was calculated, even though he seems to be trying to act as if what he was doing was no big deal, Minato could see his shoulders were tense. The man was ready if he or any one in the room were to attack him.

"Oh you wound me Namikaze-san, you were suppose to be THE good Hokage or was it just rumors?" Minato tensed when the stranger mentioned his name.

"Me being good only extends to the people who I think deserves it and you are far from that list as of now."

"Ah i cannot blame you for that since I can't really say that I come in peace." - he said.

The stranger took a step towards him. He basically already said that he meant trouble. His voice was deep, and there was something familiar in it, something that made Minato felt like he let someone down. It was as if he was somehow of fault of something and he couldn't remember it... or maybe he just didn' t know.

"I am... a very selfish person Minato-san but... aren't all people are?" - the stranger took another step and Minato's grip on his Kunai tightened.

"Every single one... not many would believe it but... seeing you right now just makes me believe more about what I just said." - he took another step again and immediately he disappeared and reappeared before him.

Minato by instinct immediately took a step back, his kunai in front of him, ready. He could feel the tension growing thicker, if that was even possible. The people behind him, gasp in surprise because of how fast the man reappeared.

"Your even more selfish than most Namikaze-san."

The thing about what he just said was that... he knew. He knew that he was indeed selfish. He knew it for a long time now and he frankly didn't care. It was the thing that he always wanted, always coveted when he look at others.

"Don't listen to him Minato." - Kushina's voice was hoarse behind him. She was trying... but Minato knew that he really was selfish for a very long time now. It was the thing that he always tried to hide. His calm demeanor and his easy going personality hid the fact that he was downright selfish when it comes to what he really wanted. What he really wanted but cannot have without a great cost.

"But I'm not one to condemn since you see... i'm just like you, just more honest of it." - the stranger said.

It all happened in a flash. The stranger disappeared and Minato also did and he reappeared near Kushina but then the man wasn't aiming for Kushina at that moment... and now he had his son. Biwako was thrown to the side, she landed on the wall back first and fell on the ground, the bundle she was carrying now at the stranger's arms. Minato could _feel_ the man smirking before he disappeared again and reappeared far from the other midwives, near the entrance of the place.

"NO! Let go of him!" - Kushina yelled from behind him.

The stranger ignored them and was looking at the baby he was carrying for a moment and then he laughed.

"We really can't get everything we want right Namikaze-san? It's a pity really." - he said not taking his eyes off the baby. Minato clenched his fist.

"Let him go... he have nothing to do with this." - the stranger looked at him.

"Of course he doesn't... since he's not even here." - he said and the stranger looked at them for a moment seemingly interested.

"You don't know do you?" - when no one of them answered, the man laughed.

"Oh kami! You still don't know? Has the midwife not tell you yet?" - he asked and Minato for a moment found himself looking at the ones mentioned.

"The child is stillborn. This child is not breathing. You gave birth to a dead baby Kushina-san." - sick amusement was in the stranger's voice as he said it and it took him a moment to process what the stranger just said.

Minato suddenly felt cold and his chest tightened. No.

 _No no no no no..._

No right? He was just fucking with them. Trying to make them believe him to catch them off guard. Trying to attack him with only words so he could get what he want. Trying to... trying to...

Trying.. just trying... right?

"No... No! I don't believe you!"

No. Yes. Dont believe him. Dont believe him.

Minato glared at the man in front of him. This man... he was standing between him and what he want. This man was telling him.. trying to trick him into believing that he was gone. No... Not Naruto.. Not his Naruto.

There was a heavy feeling creeping in his chest and Minato ignored it. He ignored the feeling, the voice that was telling him that he just lost something. Something that he could never get back. He had sacficed many things and he had endangered the whole fucking village just to have what he wanted and now this?

Kushina was.. She was...

"No! I carried him for nine months and I can feel him moving. I-I... H-he's not dead! He's not dead! I don't believe you.." the man was laughing harder now. Minato didn't even need to look at her to kbow that she was crying.

Crying...

The baby wasn't crying...

He gasp as a sudden jolt of pain struck him on the chest when he realized that one fact. A tear fell from his eye and he slowly looked at his wife behind him, suddenly forgetting everything around him. He let out a shaky breath and his hand found it's way to his chest. He couldn't breath.. No..

Kushina was pale behind him, her hair a wild mess around her. Her bloodshot eyes wide and fearfull and in denial. She was shaking and she was gasping, forcing herself to breath evenly to calm herself.

"He's not dead Minato.. No.. My spn's not dead." tears were streaming down her eyes as she looked at him. Her voice broken as she whispered while crying.

"H-he was moving... I-I felt h-him move... N-no! No no no no no no.. My baby! Kami-sama... My baby! Not Naruto.."

He made his way to her. His knees trembling beneath him. Suddenly... The man didn't matter anymore. He sat beside her and she looked at him and they sat there... staring at each other with tears streaming down their faaces. No words was said... And they just stared at each other silently asking why this was happening to them. It was all they ever wanted, to have something of their own that they can call family.

Suddenly Minato couldn't bear it anymore and he pitifully whimpered. He looked down and cried.

He was Hokage, the world renowned Yellow Flash, he was one of the strongest shinobi alive, he was known throughout the whole shinobi world, he was feared, he was respected, he was hunted because of the bounty that he had in bingo books. He was just _so_ fucking strong and _so_ fucking feared and _so fucking_ untouchable courtesy of his Hirashiin that sometimes he also believed it and let it get through his head and now... And now... All that doesn't matter... It doesn't matter because right now he was powerless. He coundn't do a damn thing because this was death they were talking about. This... This was his _son_ they were talking about. His son that was still in the hands of the man behind him. The child he desperately craved to have.

He cried and Kushina, strong, beautiful, fiery Kushina cried with him. He covered her hands with his. Her hands were so so cold and so was his. He took her in his arms, trying to be strong, trying to pretend to be strong and failing miserably.

"M-Minato.. N-no.. No..." she weakly said

"I-I'm sorry.. K-kushina.. I-i'm so sorry."

One of her hands got out of his grasp and made it's way to his cheek and then Kushina looked at him in the eye.

"It's not your fault. I-it's not." he couldn't look at her in the eye.. How could he?

"Minato look at me. Look at me!" and he did, Kushina dodn't smile or frown, she just looked at him.

"It's not your fault." she said. He didn't said anything but he didn't believe her.

His hands then made it's way to her face as her's went down. He cradled her face between his hands and then wiped the tears that was still streaming down her face. She looked at him dead in the eye, it was the look that only Kushina Uzumaki now Namikaze have. That look was strong, the pain was still there but there was that hard look in her eyes that said that she wanted something. Right now... It was her son, breathing or not breathing. She wanted Naruto and she didn't care if she have to sacrifice herself just to see him even for a little moment.

"Get him back. Minato... Get him back. Get him back and then leave him in a safe place and return for me." she said and the way she spoke it left no room for aurgument. If he get Kushina out first, kami knows what the man would do to the baby. He wanted to see his child even for a second.

Yes. He was going to get him back. If he couldn't from death then atleast his little body from the stranger that was holding him.

The change in atmosphere must've alerted the man behind him because the man suddenly chuckled.

"Oh here goes.. So this is where the fun starts eh? Let's count... Three..."

He gave Kushina a pained smile.

"Two..."

He took a kunai from his pouch.

"...One."

Both of them disappeared in a blink of an eye but it felt like minutes to the blonde haired Hokage. The man threw the bundle of blankets in the air and Minato immediately leaped up to catch it. He did and he landed on the ground with a grace someone like him have. Someone who lived and breath their so called occupation. He looked at the little body he was carrying. He was pale, his eyes were closed and he wasn't breathing. The heavy feeling in his chest got worse. That all happened in a span of a milisecond. Minato was crouched on the ground, back facing where Kushina is and he was about to look back when he reaize there were explosive tags attached to the body he was carrying. He didn't even had time to curse when he disappeared again and reappeared somewhere in a forest and threw away the tags and disappeared again and reappeared inside the small apartment that he and Kushina lived since they were married.

There... he broke down once more.

He was crying and he didn't care of anyone will see him that way. It just hurts... it hurts so much.

He was still sobbing and was breathing in gasps as he stood up and went towards one of the rooms and to the bed. He cluched the little bundle like it was his life line or his glue that kept him from breaking down and completly succumb to the grief he was feeling.

Kushina needed him...

She needs him.

He have to keep himself together.

She carried him for nine months.

He could only guess what she was feeling.

He was selfish once again and only Kushina and his Naruto could bend him.

He layed the unmoving body down gently and even when the baby was out of his arms and was now on the bed, he didn't straighten immediately. He just stayed there, his head near on the baby's head and his eyes were closed. He stayed like that for a few moments before slowly kissing the baby on the forehead.

"I'll be back... I promise." he whispered and then he straightened.

He gave one last look on the still body and he disappeared.

It was only then that when his presence was long gone that little eyes slowly opened revealing an alert, clear, not even a little bit bleary, cerulean blue eyes. The eyes blinked once, twice.. And a little ragged sigh escape the owner, it was like he was trying to get himself together since he was left shaken at what he just witnessed. He then closed his eyes a moment later.

.

* * *

.

All she could feel was pure excruciating pain. It was like melted iron was being poured on her skin and it was as if that wasn't enough it was also like she was being turned inside out and pulled and steched and bended in impossible angles. She was chained? She didn't know, she didn't even bother checking, she didn't know where she is and she doesn't care. It was painful... So so painful.

But that all couldn't compare to the pain a mother is feeling when she lost her child. She was still crying but it wasn't because of what she was feeling now.

She would never get to see him grow up, be happy, be a ninja, go in his first mission, find a girl that he would love, get married, have children...

She would never be able to witness that... Because he was gone.. Naruto was gone... Her baby was gone. She was crying hysterically... Crying to the heavens asking why, why why _WHY_?! She couldn't think straight and even breathing seems cost a huge amount of energy. It just hurt so fucking much and she wanted it to stop. She begged for everything to stop. She begged for many things actually but it seems that nobody heard. Everyone that was there when she was giving birth was now dead. The explosion was so big that she doubt any one of them escaped.

There was pain again but she was far too gone on her grief. She didn't even notice it. Didn't even notice the fact that the extraction was finished, didn't notice anything until she heard his voice.

"Kushina!" She was in his arms... just like the first time she fell in love with him.

She stared at his handsome face lifelessly. Her eyes were blank and dull but the tears kept coming. Minato said something but she didn't hear it and in a blink of an eye they were no longer where they are but rather in one of the rooms in their apartment.

Minato layed her down the bed and she turned to her side where a little body was. Sje was crying hysterically now.

Kami.. Her baby... Why... Why? Why? why? That's just it. She kept asking why but doesn't receive any answer. No matter how much she ask, there was no answer. She still kept asking though.

She buried her face at the side of her little Naruto. She felt Minato hold her hand and gave it a squeeze and she also squeezed back. They were together in this. Truthfully, her love for Minato was the only thing keeping her in reality right now.

She heared a soft whoosh and knew that Minato was gone.

She didn't sleep, she just laid there staring at the side of her little baby's face, it hurt, but Kushina tried to picture out how he would have looked like when he grows older. His attitude, his everything...

A shiver went down her spine when she felt the ominous chakra of the kyuubi. It was still far and it was large. She could practically feel how big the kyuubi is right now. Bigger than the Hokage's tower, bigger.. bigger... bigger.

It was near the village now.. she could feel it, maybe because she was his vessel before. It was near... near... And then it disappeared and reappeared in the center of the village and then...

There was movement beside her. She frozed and for a moment she thought that everything finally got to her and she had already lost her mind. Slowly she proped her arm in the bed to help her sit up and stared at the little body was...

Blue eyes was slowly revealed in the world and Kushina's eyes were so wide and she was so frozen still that all she could do was stare unbelievingly. Blue eyes looked at her for a moment before looking up in the ceiling once more and Kushina could swear it was concentrating.

She flinched yet again when she felt the kyuubi's unbelivable size get smaller and smaller and smaller and it was moving, running towards a certain direction and it continued to become smaller until it was only about half her arm's length. It continued running and Kushina only realize where it was headed when she felt it just outside their house. A moment later, she was staring at a small fox whose body was glowing an orange-yellow hue. The fox stared at her for a moment before turning to the little body laying on the bed.

The fox stared at the baby and the baby stared back like they were having a conversation mentally. It wasn't possible. It just wasn't... what the hell was happening?

Her eyes widened when she saw that the fox had 9 tails and before everything processed to her, before she could do anything, the fox dive into the little body and disaapreared.

"No!" she yelled but it was done.

She was frozen in her place. Naruto yawned and looked at her again and there was a small smile on his lips before his eyes closed and he fell asleep.

"Impossible." she shrieked in surprise when she heard a voice and she frantically turned only to find Minato staring wide eyed. Probably also because he witnessed what happened. Slowly he walked towards her and they held each other's hands. Both staring at the little bpdy infront of them and wodered if what they witnessed was a blessing or a curse.

"Minato..."

"I don't understand... He.. He.. He wasn't moving or breathing Kushina. I held him and he wasn't..." Minato trailed off.

Neither of them said anything for a while after that.

"The man..." she started but didn't finish but Minato who was still staring at the bed where his child lay knew what she meant.

"He's gone." he said but didn't explain.

"I saw him move before... even before the Kyuubi.." she shuddered and took a shaky breath.

Neither of them said anything after that.

.

* * *

.

He couldn't believe it. 3 months and still... He still couldn't believe it and the only thing that was keeping from his fast moving thoughts was the ever present feeling that Sasuke was also here. Well by here means with him... In this time.. In this Konoha. He closed his eyes and dwelled in the sparkling, sharp, tingling feeling of Sasuke's chakra. He could feel that Sasuke was doing the same. It was their only comfort and the only thing that helped the two of them sleep at night since they grew used to the fact that the others were close while asleep. Sakura was no where, the first time he realized this he panicked so much that his infant self cried for the whole duration of the day and that was the day after his birth. He couldn't control the urge to cry especially when he looked at his... his parents.

If Sakura-chan was here then she would know what to do but she wasn't and so Naruto was lost. He basically had no idea how to handle facing them. Everytime, he couldn't help but just... freeze up and... stare.

He opened his eyes once more and came face to face with a woman. He has been waking up every day for the past few months like this and still... He couldn't help it.

She was so beautiful, the way her lips move every once in a while and how her hair cascaded around her like a blanket of red. How she mumble incoherent words in her sleep and then smile because of some dream she was having.

His first few weeks consisted of sleepless nights so instead of trying to sleep he would stare at their faces. He would stare at them like he was trying to memorize every inch because a small voice inside his head was telling him he might lose them again.

Never in his life did he saw her face before all this, they... they told her what she was like, how she looks like and how she did things but he never... he never really saw her but he loved her and he knew that she was his mother but... those times when he would just look at her do things, cook for him, get angry at others, smile... He grew to love her more. She wasn't just a faceless person now in his little family picture, she was his mother.

He could feel the weight of a hand on his leg. He knew who that hand belongs to. It belonged to a man he knew all his life but never really recognized him as his father until the time that it was flat out revealed to him. Minato would look at him like it was the first time everytime. He was the epitome of calm and cool but everytime his infant self got the best of his mentality and will cry, Minato absolutely was at the lost of what to do and that is when the usually calm man would panic. He knew that even though his looks was from Minato, his attitude was very much like Kushina. Unlike his mother... He met the man already, back in the war that they lost pathetically. His features were a little different then because of the Edo Tensei but now... he was here, very much alive and moving.

He was an idiot... but it was who he is... Or maybe now it was who he tries to be.

His younger self was an idiot. That boy was clueless and he looked at the world and only saw good. That boy was reckless and ignorant but he can't help but want to be that boy again. He couldn't erase the memories... couldn't erase the guilt. It's going to haunt him for the rest of his life and it's killing that little boy.

His mind was like crumpled paper, still whole but never the same. Still whole, but thin and easy to rip. He was an adult warrior in the verge of losing his fucking mind because of a fucked up world that is going to be this world if he fucked up one more fucking time.

...

It was nearly sunrise and Naruto knew that the two of them are going to wake up soon but unlike every other day when he would pretend to sleep, this time he felt like watching them open their eyes.

He... He watched many people die already. Watched them sacrifice their lives for him because he was the so called chosen one. He watched every single one of his friends die and that didn't stop until he also died.

He remebered how Sasuke fell with him. He remembered how the two of them looked at each other and they just knew that that was their end. He remembered the fear he and his dark haired rival felt when they thought about their pink haired team mate. For a few minutes they tried fighting, stay alive as long as they can because... Sakura... they were leaving Sakura-chan once again and they promised not to. She... she was always there... they can't leave her... they just can't.

Then she came.

She always does right Sasuke?

He could practically feel Sasuke agreeing with him. The three of them always had this strange connection. They could feel each other. They somehow know where the others are although there are some times when they dont because that person doesn't want the other two to find out. It was like a button, on and off and most the time they leave the connection open because that connection was the only thing keeping their state of mind in check. It felt imbalanced because Sakura-chan wasn't there, he could only wonder what Sasuke must've felt when he was the only one who was still born. There was a spark in Sasuke's chakra at that very moment that comfirmed the fact that he wasn't very pleased with being the first one.

They didn't know where or when it started, it just did and even in their last moments he remembered how the three of them felt.

And Sakura-chan... her eyes... her eyes... they were... they were...

He could feel Sasuke agreeing and a flash of Sakura's eyes appeared in both their minds for a split second and the two of them stiffened then their gaze hardened.

They should... _his breathing became ragged._

They should... _he tried calming himself._

They should...

... _talk_ about that in another time. He took a deep breath and the opened his eyes and stared once again only to find a pair of beautiful violet eyes staring back at him, he didn't flinch or even blink his eyes but instead a tear immediately fell.

Well damn... So much for control.

The eyes widened, suddenly alarmed and Namikaze Kushina inmediately sat up.

"Sweatheart... What's wrong?" she asked and he only stared at her.

"Did you have a bad dream? It's okay baby.. Kaa-san's going to chase all the bad dreams away, okay love?" she said while smiling at him and he just blinked at her.

He wished she could. He really wished she could do that but Naruto already knew how, he just choose not to because those same nightmares that haunt him is the only thing that can help him know what to do with this world. He wasn't afraid of the dark, or the noises in the closet, or the boogie man under the bed. He had been afraid of all that... It felt like it was millions of years ago and even then he already learned how to deal with it. He already found the courage to just look under the bed to really see if there really was something there. There wasn't and after that he slept. The dark couldn't even compare to the bright inferno that scattered throughout the Forest of Death that one time where they ran for their pitiful lives and tried to hide somewhere in the damned forest. He didn't even have a home anymore and so the noises in the closet was no more. The voices in his head was another story entirely. Now there were things worse than feeling eyes looking at you. He now feared things such as fucking up the second chance that they undeservingly got.

"Naruto-kun... Don't be afraid okay? I don't want it dulling those pretty eyes. I'm here..." Kushina cooed.

She knew... She somehow saw it. She just didn't understand what the fear meant.

There was movement behind him and then a voice.

"Hmm? What's wrong? It's still early, why are you two awake?" Kushina smiled.

"Naru-chan had a bad dream, it's okay now... I think." she said and Minato chuckled and he also sat up and then Naruto was move to face both of them, he was now laying on his back.

The two of them sat beside each other now. Minato's right arm was now around Kushina's shoulders and they were both smiling at him.

"It's a dream son.. It's not real." Minato said.

But it is...

It really really is...

Naruto could only smile at them, as much as a little baby can smile. The tears were falling down again though.

.

* * *

.

 _ **Okay... I feel so guilty now. This chapter has actually been finished for a while now but sadly I couldn't post it because I was away and there wasn't any computer where I went and I do not like typing using my phone because it's just... no. Again I'm so so sorry and heyy I hope you like Naruto's version of Where It Starts. Next is Sakura's... which is really really challenging since Sakura didn't really have much of a background story in the real Naruto. **_

_**Also... I know that Naruto did meet Kushina but here I decided not to add that for reasons your going to find out later on.**_

 _ **I hope you all like it!**_

 _ **Please review etcetera etcetera, I will really appreciate it so please... just press the button and type some things and yeah... it makes me really happy. :D** **If you have questions just ask by the way.**_

 _ **ForgetMeNot...**_ _ **Because no one wants to be forgotten.**_

 _ **Thy humble servant,**_

 _ **Me.**_

 _ **:***_


	4. Chapter 4: Whatever It Takes (Sakura)

**Chapter Four: Whatever It Takes (Sakura)**

 _Thoughts and emphasized words or phrase_

 **Inner**

Normal

 _Kyuubi_

 ** _Jikan on Sakura's Mind_**

 **Disclaimer: Disclaimers are just depressing you know? They break my heart. T_T Naruto's not mine!**

* * *

 **.**

 _"It's going to be different from now on Sakura-chan."_

 _There was a soft voice whispering in her ear. The voice belongs to a female and it was sad. For the longest time Sakura felt like she should be bothered by what the voice just said but right now she felt at peace, she felt rested because strangely she knew it was going to be worth it._

 _They were worth it. Besides... when did anything became easy for them anyway? She heard someone sigh and then after that, she fell into a world of black._

 **.**

* * *

.

Kaiya was a medic in training. She started a few months back and she was learning fast but she was still not allowed to actually heal someone without surveillance. Healing was art, how the tissues knit together, how the heart beats, how the bones grow, every aspect of it fascinated her. It was a beautiful thing, a blessing to be able to do. It required precise chakra control and it left no room for errors. Lives depended on your hand and being human who makes mistakes is no reason.

Maybe it was because she already witnessed what chaos was and she had seen many people wounded and screaming and bleeding and broken or maybe it was the fact that they lived in a world where being wounded was normal... or maybe it was just both. It was a dangerous _dangerous_ world and it was cruel to see people suffering and it to think that it was _normal_ for them now.

Kaiya was not a ninja and she never want to be one. She was too compassionate, too trusting, too forgiving, too emotional to be one. She's okay with just how things are going on in her life and although she admired the brave ones that go out on missions to serve and protect their village, she could never bring herself to like their job. She knew that it was necessary for the ones who live in Konoha to be safe but still... she didn't like it. When you decide to be a ninja, half of your body is already buried while the other half is the one fighting. She already lost so many people and she doesn't want any more funerals. Crying was tiring but the tears kept coming and they don't seem to end. She already lost so much and it was why she became a medic and still even as one... she just can't save all of them.

She sighed. She already saw many deaths, many of them she knew, many of them she knew by face but not by name, many of them were strangers to her but not strangers to others. She already also saw the different ways people handled the deaths. Some accepted it, some cried, some couldn't bear it, some feel into depression and some were like the woman she was looking at now.

"KILL HER! JUST KILL HER ALREADY! YOU'VE ALREADY TAKEN EVERYTHING AWAY FROM ME! JUST TAKE HER AWAY! I DON'T WANT HER! HE'S GONE HE'S GONE HE'S GONE! I DON'T WANT HER! HE'S GONE! JUST KILL HER AND THEN KILL ME!"

The woman was wailing and screaming at the top of her lungs as she thrashed so violently in the hospital bed that she was in that the other medics there resulted in strapping her init. She was strong and her chakra was all over the place and very much unstable just like her. She was dangerous.

Her silvery metallic hair was a mess around her, a manic smile appeared on her face as she searched the room for something and then her eyes landed on Kaiya, more specifically on the one she was holding. The woman's eyes were the color of crimson and they were bloodshot because of crying, there were also bags under her eyes because of the lack of sleep, if anything it made her look all the more threatening to look at. Out of nowhere the woman then laughed so loud and so disturbed that shivers went down to everybody's spines. She was... insane... and everybody knew the reason why.

"She's dead isn't she? I can feel it. She isn't breathing... she isn't breathing... just like him.. just like him.. she isn't here anymore... she left me already..." - the woman laughed and for a moment no one breathed. Her eyes were wide and glazed with something that both alarmed and terrified everyone that was present in the room. This woman is not someone to underestimate even when strapped because this woman was... she was dangerous and feared. The woman then stilled.

"No... she didn't leave me..." -the woman looked at each and every one that was there, her eyes eerily resembling a certain bloodline limit that they all knew to avoid.

"YOU TOOK HER AWAY!" she screeched and the lights flickered as her chakra, that was as angry as her, burst around around her and even knocking down one of the medics that was trying to get close to her. She was screaming once again and trashing more wildly than before.

"Don't touch her!" - One of the medics screamed.

"YOU TOOK HER AWAY! YOU"RE ALL GOING TO PAY! I'M GOING TO KILL ALL OF YOU!"

.

Kaiya could only stare at the woman that was driven mad in grief. It was sad... she loved him so much that when he died, all the love died with him... even the love for her daughter.

This scene was a perfect example of life being so fucking unfair. You get happy for a while and nothing is ever wrong but what you don't know is that... life is giving you a false sense of security before it goes and break you to pieces.

Once upon a time, they were happy. The woman's name is Akame... she was a Jounin, rumor has it that she was ANBU. She is 25 years old and so so beautiful. Even now, haggard and thin and clearly has been an insomniac for the past months, you could still see the beautiful woman that everyone knew. She was strong; she was feared in battle and she was also an assassin. She was known for her skills when killing someone. She killed them so swiftly that the target would be long dead before he realizes what was happening.

Akame was strong, but sadly… even the strongest person cannot protect everyone he or she loves. She was deeply, irrevocably in love with a man named Mitsuo. Everybody knew of their story… their perfectly tragic love story. Everybody knew that he was ANBU and that was where the rumors started that she was too. It was said that he was her ANBU captain and along the missions and the dangers that threatened their lives, they fell in love with each other. Mitsuo was a red haired handsome man who was 33 years of age, he appeared serious on everyone who doesn't know him well but everyone can see the softness in his eyes every time he looked at the silver haired woman. It was love. Plain and simple… until that one mission where Mitsuo came back, he was carrying Akame in his arms, she was unconscious and the two of them… from head to toe were covered in blood.

It was a mission gone wrong, everyone of their team mates died. Akame was rushed in to be treated and she survived but Mitsuo on the other hand… they discovered that there was poison in his system and no one could recognize what it was. The medics tried their best to get it out of his system but they could only do so much. He fell into a coma and Akame found out a few weeks later… she never left his side. She cried and cried and she talked to him even if he was unconscious. They asked her who ambushed them but she kept screaming at every ninja who gets too close for her liking that they were traitors. Kaiya shivered as she remembered the memory since she was also one of the medics that witnessed it.

A few weeks passed again and it was known that Akame was pregnant. She was already almost 6 months pregnant when it happened. No one knew who the culprit was, they just found Akame one night... she was tied with chakra strings to one of the corners of the room, her arms and legs bleeding because of the strings that embedded themselves deeper and deeper in her flesh every time she desperately tried to move towards Mitsuo... Mitsuo who was... he was on the wall opposite Akame, his arms and legs spread and kunais were stabbed in him to keep him on the wall. His blood flowing from his body to the wall and down and it created a small pool of scarlet below his feet that was a feet or two off the ground. Mitsuo was dead and Akame slowly succumbed to her dark insanity.

She blamed everyone, she called them traitors. She was unstable and so it was decided they she should be put under supervision of medics because of her condition. She was insane and she was pregnant and now that she already gave birth, it only became worse.

"AHHHHHHHHHHH! JUST KILL ME ALREADY!" – She screamed but was unable to move further than the binds would allow her.

"Kaiya! Stay out of the way!" – one of her co-medics shouted at her.

She then slowly backed away to a corner, just looking at what was happening not entirely believing the madness going around. They already sent word to the Hokage about what was happening but not one of them knew when the back up was coming. Akame had mixed feelings for the baby. She says she wants to kill her, and then says that it was their fault the baby was dead, and then she would feel angry then sad then happy then depressed about it.

They were all trying to keep Akame strapped on her bed but strangely enough, Kaiya didn't feel at all bothered by that fact. She felt strangely neutral, like she knew nothing bad would happen even if Akame swore that she wants to kill the baby. She didn't feel at all threatened by the fact that there was a woman a few meters away from her that was clearly bat shit crazy.

She then looked down at the little body she was holding. It was a girl and she was beautiful. A little wide in the forehead area but nevertheless beautiful, sadly though… she wasn't breathing, she was cold, she was pale, and she was dead, still… Kaiya couldn't quite convince herself to let the little one go. The little girl was special and Kaiya could see both Mitsuo and Akame in her. As she looked at the baby girl she was carrying, she didn't realize that everything has already gone quiet. The screaming suddenly died down, there was no more crying and no more curses being thrown around… everything became quiet. When she noticed this, she looked up and realizes that she was the only one left standing in the room… the only one left except the one that was standing an arm length from her. Her breath hitched and she tensed, fear started creeping into her chest when she saw that everyone else that was there was now laying on the ground with their eyes wide open in fear and all of them weren't even moving an inch.

Akame was a genjutsu master and clearly it was what she just used. Kaiya took a step back and was now pressed into the wall behind her. The woman in front of her was looking at the baby, her expression confused and bothered. She was shaking; her white hospital gown had some blood on it because of when she gave birth. Her hair was long and messy and her red eyes screamed instability.

"H-how..?" – The woman asked although Kaiya couldn't understand what exactly the question is.

Red eyes snapped at her and Kaiya flinched in fear of being put into a hell like world that the woman in front of her created for the people now laying on the white tiled floor.

"Please don't hurt me." – She whispered and she begged and she closed her eyes.

There were a few moments of silence and she couldn't hear anything but the woman's breathing and hers. Her grip in the little body that she held tightened and in a distance she was starting to hear yells, signaling that others were coming.

Her eyes then flew open when she felt a cold hand touch the side of her face. She looked at the woman with fear etched eyes but then what she saw surprised her. It was Akame all over again. The Akame that everyone knew, the Akame that she knew… her eyes watered.

Yes, she knew Akame. Hell she doesn't even remember when exactly she first met her because they were so young then.

"I'm so sorry." – she whispered and a tear fell from her eye. Kaiya let out a pained smile.

"It's okay red. It's okay…"- she whispered back.

Akame's eyes drifted to the one she was holding and slowly she caressed the baby's cheek too.

"Watch her once in a while okay?" – Akame whispered once again.

"Akame-"

"Shhhhh…. She's sleeping. My Sakura is sleeping." – Akame cut her off and Kaiya could only look at her friend.

"Get out of here Kaiya… they're coming… and… and I'm about to see Mitsuo again… I-I'm s-sorry… I'm breaking my promise o-once again." – she said and Ayame could feel her insides go cold.

Her intention was clear to what she said alone. She was going to kill herself… no…no… not her best friend.

"No Akame NO!" – But the said woman just smiled.

"You're a good friend Kaiya… I don't deserve you." –she said and in a blink of an eye she wasn't inside the hospital room anymore.

She was in the hallway outside the room and she turned just in time to see the Hokage opening the door of the room Akame was in and she screamed.

"AKAME!" but the faint sound of a kunai hitting the ground inside the room signaled that her best friend was gone. Akame was gone. She was gone.

Now she was the one crying and she fell into her knees to the ground wide eyed staring at the door even if other medics rushed to her side to check on her. She was gasping for air and she couldn't breathe and she screamed to all deities in pain because her friend was dead. Her only family was dead. Akame only loved… what was so wrong about that? She was crying and she was hugging the little body like her life depended on it.

Why..? Why.? Why? Why? WHY?! Yes... always asking why.

She could hear someone talking inside the hospital room and she didn't know how long she sat there. How long she was holding the baby that she refused to give to anyone. How long she was thinking that she was alone. How long she thought to that she was going insane. Well maybe she was. Maybe Akame's death was the last straw before her sanity breaks everything around her.

A blonde haired man walked out of the hospital room followed by a dark haired one. The dark haired one had also dark eyes, the way he looked at her was blank and Akame found herself wondering what he was thinking. It was clear that he was an Uchiha. The one who was blonde had blue eyes and he was wearing a cloak that Kaiya swear means something… it took her time to realize he was the Hokage. Both man stared at her and she stared at them back, a tear fell from her eye.

"A-Akame?" –she asked hoping that somehow, by some miracle the assassin failed to do her mission… assassinate herself.

The look the blonde was giving her answered her question and she sobbed to herself. What was she going to do now? She remembered how Akame's eye flashed and she shivered. That Akame wasn't her friend, the Akame she knew was a kind, happy go lucky, strong girl and until the end, Kaiya wanted to remember her that way.

"The baby…" – she heard a voice and looked up again to the blon… the Hokage.

There was something in his eyes that showed how somehow he blamed himself for Akame's death. During the months after Mitsuo died, Akame blamed everything on the Hokage and the elders. She didn't know what they did and she wanted to feel angry, she wanted to resent the man and his whole family but then she was always too soft hearted to do so. She always understood people way too much of her liking and because the more she understood them the more she cannot feel angry with them. Her name... Kaiya... meant forgiveness and for the love of god she always give it even in times when she doesn't want to.

For a moment he looked like he was getting ready for her to yell, scream and throw curses at him. Kaiya let out a ragged breath and she sniffed. Three other men emerge from the hospital room once again. She knew them; Yamanaka Inoichi, Nara Shikaku and Akamichi Chouza. They stop talking when they noticed the silence that was stretch to all the people outside then they too looked at her. She pursed her lips.

"S-she was stillborn Hokage-sama. " – she said not taking her eyes off them. It was Yamanaka Inoichi who answered. His pupil less eyes narrowing at her but that wasn't what made her freeze. It was what the man said.

"Stillborn? I see the baby awake from here." – all eyes immediately flew to the one that was mentioned.

Kaiya gasped at what she saw and she nearly let go of the bundle.

Eyes that were the color of emeralds stared back at her. The Baby girl blinked owlishly at the woman who was holding her. Kaiya suddenly couldn't breathe. No… it can't be… she _checked_ and she was damn well sure that the baby… but she was… the baby was _staring_ at her.. how.. how could that be? How could she be _alive?_

"I-it's impossible! The baby was… she was…. How…"

Kaiya then looked wide eyed at the Hokage and the men behind him and then looked at the emerald eyes once more. Kaiya was shaking, it was impossible... it was _impossible_! Slowly she let down the... the... thing! She sneered and glared at it.

No. Akame was dead. The Baby was dead. Akame's baby was dead. She _checked_ and she was damn well sure that it was accurate. How could this be? Suddenly she seething and she saw red. How dare this little fucking _thing_ be alive when _she_ was dead? How _dare_ this _thing_ come back to life when _Akame_ was _forever_ gone?

She was forever _gone_.

Kaiya chuckled. It was silent at first and then it grew louder, and as it grew louder, it also grew more hysterical. No one stopped her, no one made a move to go to her. Every one was just staring at her with wide eyes.

Slowly she stood up, turned around... and walked away, leaving the... leaving _it_ on the floor. Every step she took to get away was a step to madness and strangely Kaiya didn't care.

She barely heard the soft crying behind her, like it wasn't a baby crying, like it knew what happened... like it understood. She barely heard it... because then she already stopped walking away...

.

... _she started running this time._

 _._

* * *

.

Minato was staring blankly at the ceiling of his office. It was only a few hours after Saigo Akame killed herself and Kiyoshi Kaiya ran away from the hospital and since then couldn't be found. Piles upon piles of documents were piled neatly in front of him and also on the ground beside his table. There was so many that if it was just any other day for him then he would've started panicking about not answering the letter from the Kazekage or that the paper works that the elders demanded from him weren't even close to finishing and etc etc... but that was the thing... it wasn't just any other day. Because this day, Saigo Sakura was born.

 _'It's strange.'_ he couldn't help but think.

One birth was one thing... but two? What was happening?

It was true though. What Kiyoshi-san said was right, the baby really was dead, it was confirmed by the other medics who was also there. So why was the baby alive? Heck why was Naruto alive? He wasn't being ungrateful, but you just don't see births happening this way. He was glad that it did happen... but he was worried of what it might mean.

He sighed.

She has Mitsuo's eyes. It was the first thing that came into his mind when he went forward at that time and picked up the crying baby girl from the ground. Her hair was odd. It was like a mixture of Mitsuo and Akame's. She was small, weighting about 3 or 4 pounds and she looked so delicate and fragile that carrying her would bring you the fear of breaking her.

She was as of now still on the hospital although the head Medic was the only one allowed to go in and check the baby. Words spread fast and he could almost hear everyone whispering about the little girl returning to life. No one knew about Naruto and he intended to keep it that way but this... there were too many people there a that time.

He then looked down at the two open folders that was in front of him. He had been reading and re-reading it for the past hour and he was feeling frustrated because no matter what angle he looks at it, he couldn't stop what was about to happen.

The two folders were personal information of none other than Saigo Akame and Yoshikawa Mitsuo, they weren't married, but everyone who knew about them would know that they were getting there. Both were dangerous fighters, both were in ANBU, both were flee on sight in bingo books, and both were very much wanted in the neighboring villages. They were two very important ninjas in Konohagakure because of their skills and Minato, god help him, couldn't find anything that would keep the council and that organization in the shadows of Konoha from interfering. He couldn't let them have her... no... it was the least thing he could do for Mitsuo and Akame. He need to keep the kid safe and he was trying. If he could find a way out of this then the child would have a normal life. Her surname will be her mother's though because it was too dangerous if she took her father's. Her parent's enemies would surely come for her. At least if it was only Akame's then, the threat is lessened.

Both didn't have any other families and so that means the baby has no guardian. Without any biological relative, the council could and would find a way to get her.

Saigo Sakura

Saigo no Sakura...

The _last_ Cherry Tree. It was strange how fitting her name was to her, just like it had with Akane and her father and her father's father. Because strangely, when one Saigo is born, the other dies, because they cannot be a Saigo when they are not alone.

He massaged his forehead.

He needed to see Kushina.

* * *

.

"This is outrageous Namikaze! _It_ came back from the dead! We do not know what it can do! It might just be fucking dangerous!"

"The _baby_ has been staying in the Hospital for the past week already and ever since, we did not feel anything abnormal about her. Her chakra, her vitals, everything is normal."

"Like you said, _it_ has only been staying there for a week. What about a month? a year? A decade? We do not know what kind of abnormality it has. We do not just have insane dangerous ANBU members giving birth to a dead imp only to have it return back to life an _hour_ after it was born. It just doesn't happen!"

The discussion has been going on for hours and until now, the sun is setting, they were still far from actually coming to a decision.

Normally, he would be one of the people who would want to get rid of the possible threat but now... the possible threat became a possible threat because she was born just like his son. The whole council was here and all the clan elders and they were all arguing. Some voted for the girl to be killed, some wanted her under extreme supervision, some wanted her to be released for there was no evidence but she should be watched still, and also of sourse some were still undecided and he was one of those.

"We cannot act without evidence. Yoshikawa Mitsuo and Saigo Akame has served Konoha for a very long time and they remained loyal." - Fugaku could practically feel the anger rolling in waves from the usually calm Namikaze. His fist were clenched and his eyes narrowed.

"It is not their loyalty that is in question although I have a few doubts about that so called loyalty myself, but nevertheless this is about that girl's abilities. Although she has still not shown if she has any, we cannot guarantee the fact that she may have some and it may become dangerous because may I repeat again, the girl returned from the dead and I refuse to believe that as a fluke of nature because that is simply not possible. Secondly, why was Yoshikawa targeted in such an extreme way that the killer would risk entering a foreign village and possibly be caught just to kill a man that was unconscious and in a coma in the Hospital of all places and in the middle of the fucking village? He was most wanted in the other villages, yes but so was Saigo-san, but why bound her in such a way that she could not move in any way without making herself bleed and made her face straight to where Yoshikawa was killed and hung on the wall like bloody portrait of someone crucified. In other words, why didn't they kill her?" - The Hyuuga then said and they were silent, assessing and taking in what the white eyed man said.

"What are you trying to say?" - Akamichi asked and Hyuuga looked at him.

"I think Nara-san has something to say." - The Hyuuga simply said and then all eyes went to the dark haired man whose eyes were closed and who remained silent for the last hour. He just went completely stock silent and then since then remained on his seat like he was thinking deeply about something. Everyone in the whole damn room knew not to underestimate the man's mind. He was a Nara after all.

It felt like minutes flew by and the man didn't even say anything. He didn't even look up or open his eyes for a fraction of an inch. Many already looked quite vexed because the man practically ignored all of them like they weren't even there but there was an unspoken rule about these kind of situations... when a Nara was thinking, you do not disturb them, why? you just don't.

"There are only two things... only two." -he then mumbled like he was telling that to himself, nevertheless, all attention turned to the man.

"Didn't anyone find their mission strange? Their team was a four man team and they were all under Cat Division... stealth and assassination. They were supposed to be gone for only 5 months but they were gone for 6. We weren't able to interrogate Saigo because of her condition and Yoshikawa was in a coma. When we sent another batch of ANBU to see what went wrong in their mission, there wasn't. All 27 of their targets were eliminated and no one suspected that it was them who did it..." - he stopped for a moment.

"We sent another batch of ANBU because we had no clue who attacked them or if anyone really did attack them. Hokage-sama let all of us read the mission report of the team who was assigned to the mission to gather information about the mission failure. Everything in Saigo and Yoshikawa's mission went smoothly and all of us know that... except that, it took them a month before the first victim was taken care of. Why is that?" - the man asked.

"That depends in who the victim was." - Aburame then said. Nara shook his head. He was staring directly at the table now.

"The first victim was a merchant in a black market in the outskirts of Oto. It was easy... too easy because the man was a civilian, with no shinobi training or bodyguard of any kind and the only thing that made his assassination was S-classed because he was besides being a merchant was a rapist and a murderer and someone wanted him dead so they paid for it to become S-classed... and so what took them too long? A week maybe possible, two is still a little bit understandable but a month?"

Nara then massaged his head like with every word that he said, he was seeing more complicated problems.

"After the first victim, the others followed with a three or four, six days at most intervals and that was when they were travelling from Lightning to Sand. The last of the victim was eliminated also a month before they arrived at Konoha. Where were they? What happened? The bodies of the other two ANBU members were never found, at least... not whole. Yoshikawa was able to tell us where they were attacked before he fell into a coma and when we sent ANBU there, there were no bodies, there were only body parts and every thing was just too messy and there was just too little of everything everywhere that the ANBU just burned the remains. Who was the other two ANBU members? Try to remember the history about them, more specifically one of them with Saigo. Inoichi tried going into her head and it was a whirlwind of thoughts and memories like there was an earthquake in there and it shove everything 5 feet to the left and then back again but this time, nothing was in their place. Inoichi tried entering her mind and found a void and I am sorry if we are only telling you this now but we had to be sure. Someone put them or maybe just her in a genjutsu that made her black out for a whole duration of time and when you ask Saigo-san what time it is, she could tell you the time correctly just using her mental clock but if you ask her what _month_ it is then she would say January when it was already March. 2 months late. We took her mental health into account when we realized this so we ran some tests. She remembers everything since she was a little girl, she was every bit the ninja she was except that her grief was swallowing her. Their team was out of contact for two months during the mission, one month before the first target and one month after the last target and if you count the months that Saigo has been pregnant then we would all realize that they weren't even here that time, they were out in a mission. The first month of their last mission." - he said and then everyone frozed.

"Are you really trying to say what I think your saying?" - Namikaze asked, wide eyed and horror in his eyes.

"We do not have evidence but it is not unlikely. He is the only one that was there that can match Saigo's Genjutsu and it was clear that he hated Yoshikawa and he has been after Saigo ever since they were jounins. If that is the case then he had a motive and it was enough to so what he did but if it really was him... then the killer we are looking for is not form outside the village... it's from the inside and he is very much alive. If he is alive, then what is he waiting for? or maybe... who is he waiting for?"

There was a moment of silence as they were all trying to process that in. It was possible... damn it was possible! Fugaku closed his eyes trying to ease the migraine that was beginning to make itself known in his head.

"It make sense... he killed Yoshikawa but left Saigo alive but then made her watch him kill the man. He left her alive because he might have found out that she was pregnant and if the child is his then he had even more reason to do so." - Namikaze said and he took a deep breath.

"Yes, the story can go like that but it isn't the only way it can go. It might not be just a man who became so jealous because the woman he wanted was with another man. The suspect is still the same but with different cause."

"And what cause would that be?" - Fugaku found himself asking.

"...loyalty." - The Nara simply said as he slowly looked at one of the men in the room.

"Loyalty over someone who have the power to give an order." - he said as they all followed his gaze to the man he was looking at. The puzzle pieces suddenly fell into place in Fugaku's mind. The Nara was right, the story could go both ways... but which one?

"Loyalty over a man who believed that Yoshikawa and Saigo were dangerous to the village." - The man had his eyes closed, like he was ignoring all of them and that the subject they were discussing was really no big deal at all.

"Loyalty over a man who thinks if someone is too strong for his liking then he or she should be killed. We all know that the man was part of _that_ organization."

They were all seated on their respective chairs in their usual meeting room in the Hokage tower. The Hokage was seated at the very front of the table and to his sides were the elders; Mitokado Homura sat on his right while Koharu Utatane on his left. Fugaku was seated beside Homura and Hyuuga was infront of him and beside him was Aburame then Inuzuka then Kurama. Yamanaka on the other hand sat beside him and then Nara and after him Akimichi.

Homuta then slammed his fist on the table.

"That is outrageous Nara!" - He said but Shikaku Nara ignored him.

"Is it really?"

"You shouldn't be trowing accusations like that recklessly and most of all without evidence!"

"Shouldn't I? How Hypocritical." - the Nara let out a chuckle, his eyes were down and there was a small smirk on his face that made it seem like he found what Utatane just said was amusing.

"I am not trowing accusations, I am sharing a theory I have come up with with the connections and mission reports and pure dump knowledge about the fact that our village also have a big smudge of dirt and you all know what I am saying is true and you just don't want admit it. Your hands are filthy and mine? Equally so! We all turn our heads trying not to see it but we all know that it is there and we all know who is leading it!"

"Yoshikawa Mitsuo and Saigo Akame were two of the most promising soldiers we have."

There were Four empty chairs besides the ones they were sitting on. On the last chair on the other hand, At the very end of the table and sitting face forward to the Hokage was a man that they all were very cautious of. All eyes then went to him when he spoke and Fugaku's eyes narrowed.

Shimura Danzo is a man who does not act without deeper motives. The man was manipulative and ambitious and that made him dangerous in the Uchiha Clan Head's eyes. The man had a thing for power and although it was never spoken of, never really said to be actually true, never really proven to be true, all of them in that room knew that the man was leading an underground organization of shadow ninjas.

It was barbaric and cruel and shameful but still everyone of them turn to look the other way, trying to act as if they all didn't know because at the end of the day, _it was something they can use_.

"I do not know anything about the killing. I did not send anyone. Sarutobi knows this, I actually wanted them joining. I do not know how the girl is alive although I can think of a few ways to keep an eye on her."

His answer was fast and steady like he didn't even need to think about it. By the glint in the old man's eye alone they all knew what he wanted. They all knew what he was thinking and all of them... all of them were neutral to this idea. Fugaku by instinct and being who he is did not care and no one inside the room could deny of not even thinking about it even once. They all considered it, just not out loud but it was left unspoken, it was left unspoken that they all agree. Danzo couldn't be trusted but the organization was just too valuable and they couldn't let it go. For a moment, Fugaku's mind was set. He thought that it was the right thing to do. The girl was practically a target because of her parents and she was an orphan. People already heard about her birth and they are bound to whether think she is a miracle or a curse, surely they were doing the kid a favor. Fugaku could feel his mind trying to justify his actions. His mind was searching and making up reasons for him to be able to say with a straight face and without any pinch of anything in his chest, that what he was doing is right.

A picture flashed in his mind lighting fast but it was enough for him to understand it. It was his little Sasuke. Another picture flashed in his mind and instead of seeing the little baby girl that was crying on the white tiled hospital floor, alone and helpless and cold, he saw Sasuke in her place. Another picture entered his mind and it was of a little baby wrapped in a blanket, locked inside a hospital room with no windows and only one door and guarded by ANBUs with only one medic that was going in from time to time and occasionally giving the little baby dirty looks as if it was his fault he was born that way and in another room, a little far from where the baby is, a group of selfish and horrible and callous men discussing what to do with him, discussing and mostly agreeing to send him in an underground organization where children are trained to become emotionless monsters and all of these men think that it is the right thing to do. The picture in his mind had his son in it and Fugaku could literally feel his blood running cold. What is _Sasuke_ was in her place? He couldn't even bear thinking about it. It wasn't right... It wasn't right...

 _You just said that it was a moment ago._

A voice whispered in his mind.

It wasn't right and someone had to get their shit and morals together and stop being such a damn coward and just say it.

"No." - it came out as a whisper at first but everyone heard it and they all looked at him. He raised his head and looked at them all and it was then that he noticed that Namikaze was looking just the way he was feeling. He was also on the verge of shouting and telling everyone how _wrong_ this conversation is.

" _No_." - this time he said it with as much determination as he can. The type tone that he always use when his mind could never be changed with any prodding or demands.

"Out of everyone here, I am surprised that you are the one who decided to speak up Uchiha-san." - a new voice, out of no where then said and they all all turned their heads towards the door that was a little bit to the right behind the man whose eyes were narrowed as he look at him. It was Sarutobi Hiruzen and he had a curious expression on his face.

"You look so against the idea even if it still wasn't being said Uchiha-san... why is that?" - it was then that he realized that the man was carrying something. It was a bundle of blankets and it had hints of light pink hair showing itself to them.

He swallowed the invisible lump on his throat but no one noticed him doing it. His ever expressionless eyes darkening and his fist clench.

"I have a son Sarutobi-sama and I personally, I do not want him to grow up like that." - It was like all of the clan heads that was there broke from their trance and some visibly paled, such as Yamanaka while Nara and Inuzuka clenched their fist, Akimichi looked shaken and Hyuuga, and Aburame remained silent.

Yamanaka should know better. He has a daughter, a few months older than this little girl but still, a child.

"I am glad that at least one of you disagreed because if not then I would be the one doing it." - He said and all eyes widened.

The man, ever since he stepped down from being Hokage, never really meddle with any decisions about politics or etc anymore. He never said anything, he would listen and observe but he wouldn't say anything.

"The child will not be joining Danzo. I will personally keep an eye on her and if not me then I would assign ANBUs. We are not sure about her abilities but we will all remain cautious and we could do it without damning the girl the fate to an emotionless existence."

"You should think befor-"

"And so it shall be. I am on Sarutobi's side this time, we are not sure but it is not enough reason to held the girl hostage." - Namikaze then said as he stood up from his seat. His expression serious and hard.

"This meeting is adjourned and we will continue discussing other necessary things for the girl some another time, thank you." - Namikaze bowed and then went on his way to the door.

Before passing Sarutobi, his eyes wandered to the little one and he visibly relaxed. His hand took hold of the door knob and turned it and then pulling it open but then instead of facing an empty hallway, on the floor, the only thing that can be seen from where Fugaku was, was a hand over a pool of blood. It looked like he crawled towards there and lost consciousness before having the chance to ask for help.

Everything happened so fast after that, Namikaze was yelling for orders and others were standing up making their way to see what it was. Fugaku also stood up and slowly made his way near the door of the room. From the corner of his eye, he could see Sarutobi standing next to him. In his arms was the little baby. From the corner of his eye, he saw the baby's eyes open. From the corner of his eye, he saw the baby looking at him. From the corner of his eyes, he could see the intelligent glint in the infants eye. It something that wasn't seen on any other infants. He saw all that from the corner of his eyes but he couldn't be so sure... he couldn't be so sure since he was busy wide eyed, just like the other ones that was included in the meeting, staring at the unconscious bleeding man in front of them.

His hair, his face, his outfit, his _hitai-ate._ Fugaku knew him...

He was Haruno Kizashi.

It was strange since everyone thought he was dead. He was the half brother of Yoshikawa Mitsuo. Yoshikawa took his surname from his mother while Kizashi took their father's.

He had the strangest pink hair and it was covered in grime and blood and dirt.

The man jerked as his eyes opened wide and he took a deep suffocating breath, blood was dripping down his mouth and he gurgled in it. His eyes were unfocused and strange. Eyes that was eerily familiar. His eyes that was the color of emeralds. His eyes, Fugaku realized, the exact same as the little baby's.

"M-Mitsuo... A-a-akame... help... Lei... h-h-he..." - but he wasn't able to finish what he said because after that, he also fell unconscious.

* * *

.

She stared at the ceiling of the hospital room. It has been weeks already and she was still here. It wasn't surprising, she had a fair share of clue what was about to happen and she already accepted it. Her life here was different; she didn't need anyone to tell her it was because she can feel it. The stares, the guards, the whispers in the night, she could practically taste the tension in the air. She didn't have any clue what was waiting for her.

Sakura sighed.

Sasuke and Naruto were there. She could feel them in the back of her mind like they were voices that wasn't hers but at the same time they belonged. Sasuke was agitated, he knew something was wrong with her and he wants her to tell him or maybe give him a clue about what it was. She didn't want them to know… not now anyway. Naruto was quiet. It was like he wanted her to know he wants to know what was happening but he wanted her to be the one to tell him and not him having to force her to. This was one of those times when they truly switched places in attitudes or maybe they really are just like that in the first place.

When she was hurt, Sasuke would be the one lecturing her and shouting at her to be careful next time and then he would glower and say _where the fuck does it hurts because I'll try to fucking lessen it with whatever I know about healing and damn it Sakura! If you plan to be wounded all the time then fucking teach me medical jutsus so I can fucking help and not stand here useless!_ Naruto would be the one who would calmly look at her for a while and then hug her and say _I'm sorry I wasn't able to protect you, tell me where it hurts. I'll try to be better next time Sakura-chan._ And then she would tell them that she was fine and they both shouldn't worry about her because she can take care of herself. She'll say to Naruto _You being safe is enough for me Naruto, just always be here when I'm wounded, that's enough._ And then to Sasuke _I am perfectly capable of healing myself Sasuke but thank you for caring. I'll always be willing to be wounded to save you, your family._ After that they would both hug her although Sasuke would be denying it a few moments later and say that she was the one that hugged him.

They both meant well… they both cared for her and she couldn't ask for more. But still, that doesn't change the fact that she wasn't ready to tell them because she knows that they would be blaming themselves even though they both know that her sacrifice was the right thing to do.

Sasuke was getting more and more angry, she knew he could feel her hurt and he was worried.

 _'Not now Sasuke-kun.'_ – She thought and she felt him soften. Like he knew what exactly she was thinking.

They were like her sixth and seventh sense.

She didn't want to think about anything right now. She didn't want to think about what this all might mean for them. She didn't want to think about the problems that always seem to be surrounding the three of them. She didn't want to think about the faces she saw around here that she also saw in another time all bloodied up and unmoving.

She was a medic. She healed and killed and many already died in her arms with her unable to heal them. Sometimes, they were hopeless cases, sometimes she was just a second too late. Being a medic, she should heal but it hasn't been just that for a long time now. Tsunade-sama once told her medics though underestimates were dangerous. It was true, because when you are being taught about what was the right thing to do, you get a thousand ideas of what not to do and when breaking a person you just have to get that list that you have in some box in your mind and pick one thing that you shouldn't do and then they're dead. For everything you learned to heal, you also learn a thousand ways to break.

It was that dark thing that most seems to always forget when dealing with medical ninjas. They didn't know how easy it was for a medic nin to just make their hearts stop or maybe turn their intestines inside out or maybe stop the circulation of their blood, it was all too easy. She knows… because she already did it.

She shook her head… she just said that she didn't want to think about it and yet her mind keeps wandering there.

She could feel their chakras but she was focusing on two more than the others.

The door slid open and there were several footsteps and quiet murmurs. She knew who was there and suddenly there was a sharp jolt of pain in her chest that obviously alerted both Naruto and Sasuke. She took a deep breath once again and closed her eyes. She followed their presence in the room, they stopped for a moment just a little ways from the door and then after that she felt the footsteps approached the bed she was in.

Even their presence was not quite the same as before. It was strange. It was nostalgic and painful at the same time because she knew. She expected it, but that didn't mean that the pain that comes with it would not affect her.

"She's beautiful." – She heard someone whispered.

"What's her name?" –another asked.

"She was named Sakura by… Saigo-san." – It was the Hokage that said that and mentally she formed a bitter smile.

"She could be your daughter."

"Her looks definitely came from our side of the family."

She felt hollow. She didn't want to feel… and so Sakura opened her eyes and looked into the faces of the two people who loved her despite her not being worthy of them. Their eyes widened as they stared at her and she let out a smile, as much as a baby can smile despite the overwhelming sadness she was in denial of feeling.

They both looked the same but also different. She still had her bangs and he still had his spiky hairstyle that she used to play with when she was a kid. It felt like that was a lifetime ago… but then now that she thinks about it, it was, quite literally in fact. She missed them from the moon and back and yet they weren't hers. No. Not anymore; because she gave them up.

She stared into the faces of Haruno Kizashi and Haruno Mebuki. Their eyes showed happiness, bliss and amazement but she knew better. She knew how her parent's eyes looked like and this wasn't it. There was something different; something that shouldn't be there. There something cold just beneath the thin but well placed light they put in their eyes. It was there, the cold and the dark and she could only imagine where this all might lead to.

She needs to speak with Naruto and Sasuke, feeling what they feel wasn't enough. From the looks of it though, she knew that it will still be a long time before she sees the two of them. Their presence alone here already changed so many things… from their births, to the Kyuubi, to her parents.

She looked at them in the eyes, not flinching or looking away for even a second.

She was going to do this. She was going to do her damnest for this world to not end up like the one she left behind. She was going to be stronger. She was going to be braver. She was going to be resilient because it is what the world requires of her. It was what the world always requires of the three of them.

She was Haruno Sakura and she was part of team seven. This time it would be better and they were going to make sure of that.

Whatever it Takes.

.

* * *

 **.**

 **This chapter is longer than the other two I admit because of the few extra POVs but I just had to put it. Yep! It's finally done! You have no idea what I've been through to just write this but yeah, it was still fun. English is not my first language, so sorry... The next chapter is going to be interesting for me to write... hmmm... My account couldn't be opened for a while and I seriously didn't have any idea why, sorry for the late update... T_TV forgive me.**

 **Well... please write a few words below and send some love my way? Please?**

 **Thank you again!**

 **With love,**

 **Triks.**


End file.
